Nikoloski calls out MoFA for not reacting to Trifonov’s statements, Ramcilovic jumped to defend the Bulgarian side

Preparations for the Parliament session, due on January 13, where French Ambassador Cyrille Baumgartner is expected to present the priorities of the French EU presidency were discussed at Tuesday’s session of the National EU Integration Council.

According to the announcements, besides Baumgartner, the ambassadors of Germany and the Czech Republic in Skopje, Anke Holstein and Miroslav Toman, as well as the EU Ambassador David Geer will attend the Parliament session on January 13.

The President of the National EU Integration Council and Vice President of VMRO-DPMNE Aleksandar Nikoloski assessed that it is inappropriate and unacceptable that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not react to the views of the Bulgarian party leader Slavi Trifonov, who linked Macedonia’s start of EU negotiations with the abolition of visas for entry of Bulgarian citizens to the United States and the admission of Bulgaria to the Schengen area.

It is unacceptable not to react to such statements. If there was a statement to the contrary from this side, say the president of SDSM or DUI had such an insulting statement towards Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people, be convinced that the ambassador, who unfortunately we do not have in Sofia, ie in this case a representative of the Macedonian Embassy, would have been summoned and a protest note would be sent to him by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, Nikoloski said.

He emphasized that VMRO-DPMNE will not support a solution with Sofia that would be outside the Resolution adopted by the Parliament which outlined the red lines of the country.

According to the member of the National EU Integration Council Zekir Ramcilovic, who is from the ranks of the coalition led by SDSM, Trifonov’s statements are his personal position, wishes and views, on which the country’s negotiations with the Union do not depend.

I believe in the announcements of the new Bulgarian Prime Minister that things will go in another direction, said Ramcilovic, expressing hope for a quick start of the country’s negotiations with the EU.