The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Slovak ambassador in Sofia in connection with the statements of Slovak President Petr Pellegrini about the integration process of North Macedonia with the EU, which it called unacceptable. This was announced on Thursday by the Bulgarian Department of Diplomacy, reports TASR, referring to the BTA news agency.
- The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Slovak ambassador.
- The reason is President Pellegrini’s statements about North Macedonia.
- Bulgaria expressed disapproval of his positions on European integration.
- Pellegrini criticized the new demands for the admission of North Macedonia.
- Slovakia plans to support the integration process of North Macedonia.
Director General for European Affairs of the Bulgarian Ministry, Jordan Parvanov, stated at a meeting with the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic, Vasil Grivna Bulgaria’s “deep surprise” at the attitudes of President Pellegrini. According to him, “they essentially question the validity of the European consensus of July 2022, adopted by all EU member states, including Slovakia.” He mentioned the compromise agreement of the EU member states, which made it possible to start accession talks with Skopje under certain conditions, including changes in the constitution and the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in it, brought closer by BTA.
„We are deeply disappointed that a partner country has decided to encourage the counterproductive rhetoric of the government of the Republic of North Macedonia, which is constantly looking for the culprit for the lack of progress in its European integration process. Such an attitude does not serve either the EU’s strategic vision for this region or the interests of the citizens of this candidate country,” said Parvanov. According to the statement, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded its partners in Bratislava that progress towards the EU depends solely on the merits of each country in fulfilling the set criteria and complying with commitments, BTA wrote.
Pellegrini said on Tuesday (October 14) during a visit to North Macedonia that The EU is gambling with the trust of the people in this country if it makes its acceptance conditional on new requirements. After negotiations with North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova in Skopje, he said that EU integration it must not be misused to settle “international scores or political disputes”, but based only on the fulfillment of established criteria.
“The European Union is playing with the trust of the people of this region and unless it demonstrates its viability, that the enlargement process is still alive and that it is alive, then it will make a huge mistake,” announced the President of the Slovak Republic. According to him, countries like North Macedonia have the potential to “negotiate intensively one chapter after another” and adopt relevant reforms in the coming years.
He argued that the security of the Union also lies in its expansion. He emphasized that Slovakia stands firmly on the side of North Macedonia and plans to support it in the integration process “in all possible ways”.
