Countries of the Western Balkans have no alternative to EU and NATO membership. We changed our Constitution and our constitutional name with our faith in NATO and EU accession in mind. This was not easy, a bitter feeling, but we did this for the sake of our children and have gained a big friend in Greece, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told online discussion “Macedonia on the Threshold of Europe”, organized by the Atlantic Council on Monday.

He pointed out that after the decision of the EU Council in March last year to start accession negotiations with the country, the first intergovernmental conference was supposed to follow, but it did not happen due to Bulgaria’s blockade.

Bulgaria has taken a not-so-friendly position, but I strongly believe that is because of the upcoming elections in Bulgaria, and we politicians are not very pragmatic when it comes to elections. I believe that if you continue to help us, we will find a solution immediately after the elections in Bulgaria, because this is a ridiculous problem. We should not think about how to block or stop someone, but to look toward the future and secure it, said Zaev.

The Prime Minister said that even more bridges of cooperation in various sectors will be built between Skopje and Sofia.

It is in our interest to continue the dialogue, and not to freeze the negotiations, but there are still some red lines that we cannot cross. Bulgaria understands that we have the right to our sovereignty and the right to self-identification, to feel like Macedonians, to speak our Macedonian language. We here in Macedonia respect all European identities, and we have no pretensions towards Bulgaria or any other country in the world, stressed Zaev.