The MKD.mk news site published a statement prepared by Bulgaria that was added to the conclusions of the European Council, which recommended the opening of accession talks with Macedonia – without setting a date. The statement includes a list of demands from Macedonia, such as denouncing any mention to the existence of a Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, as well as replacing the Macedonian language with a term “official language of the Republic of North Macedonia”.

Foreign Minister Nikola DImitrov who said that Macedonia “will not accept introducing anti-European bilateral conditions that intrude on the Macedonian identity in the negotiating framework”.

Bulgaria demands that Macedonia fully respects the Zaev – Borisov treaty from 2017, under which Macedonia committed to discuss all historic issues which Bulgaria raises toward establishing a jointly agreed historical narrative, and to crack down on what Bulgaria sees as unfriendly propaganda spread in Macedonia. The latter is often loosely defined to cover any mention of the existence of a Macedonian nation separate from the Bulgarian and especially that Macedonians live in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria also raised issued with the opening of accession talks with Albania – here the authorities in Sofia demand that Albania acknowledges that the Macedonian minority living there is a Bulgarian minority.

Bulgaria also notes that a joint historic committee, where the Macedonian historians already accepted a number of Bulgarian requests before coming to an impasse over the legendary VMRO leader Goce Delcev, stopped working. The Macedonian historians withdrew as elections were called in Macedonia, and now with the coronavirus epidemic its work is unlikely to resume anytime soon.

Dimitrov told MKD.mk that the statement was submitted to the conclusions after they were adopted by the European Council.

The conclusions to open accession talks were approved on March 26 unanimously by all member states and with regard to “North” Macedonia, they contain no preconditions. The Bulgarian statement was submitted after and it has the character of unilateral interpretation. It can’t alter the legal effect of the conclusions. Bulgaria states that it is its own understanding of the level of implementation of our Friendship treaty. The request on the Macedonian language violates European values. Good neighborly relations are a two way street, Dimitrov said.