Efforts are being made and activities are under way as regards holding the first joint intergovernmental conference with the EU as Macedonia is preparing for a positive scenario, Deputy PM for European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov said Saturday.

It cannot be ruled out that there will be no intergovernmental conference by the end of this year, but if the reason for that is the Macedonian language, I am okay with that, said Dimitrov.

He stressed that diplomatic efforts are being made to find a way out of this situation, but, as he said, the field is not unlimited.

Our right to self-determination in the 21st century and on this continent cannot be disputed and if the Macedonian language becomes an obstacle to EU integration, the adjective in the name of the EU will become disputable, because you cannot be European and interfere in the right to a nation to say what it is and what language it speaks. This is not the way to build a truly healthy friendship, which will be based on mutual respect, said Dimitrov.

He says that at the moment the decisions in the EU are made by consensus and that the country depends on all member states.

Dimitrov does not consider that the work of the Joint Macedonian-Bulgarian Commission is unsuccessful, especially if the fact that such commissions from other countries have been working for decades is taken as a reference point. That is why, he said, I think that the Macedonian-Bulgarian commission works productively and at full steam.

He added that efforts are being invested in the bilateral relationship with Sofia and soon, in the next few days and weeks, the result will be seen.