PARIS – Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Nikola Dimitrov says that the European Union should acknowledge that someone in the Balkans has shown leadership and courage, as well as eagerness to participate with other EU member states in the development of Europe.
“The Union is now the one that should show the same courage. It must give a chance to my country by adopting a decision on the opening of accession negotiations. Nothing more and nothing less. We deserve it,” Dimitrov told French Le Monde, reports MIA agency.
Dimitrov says that the only battle that North Macedonia should lead is “the battle for present and future generations and their right to live in their own country with equal opportunities like those in Europe, without having to seek their fortunes elsewhere.”
“This is the only thing we were thinking about when we negotiated with Greece about the dispute,” he said.
Asked if there was another option, the Macedonian minister replied that there were always alternatives and that they could have continued to complain, could have accused the neighbours of their bad fate and could have accused Europe of the lack of a principle.
He pointed out that they have now decided to be patriots in a “contemporary, visionary and European way”.
“With the Prespa Agreement, we preserve and validate the values that are sacred to each nation, our identity and everything related that. At the same time, we make a distinction between our and Greece’s perception of Macedonia, in the hope that both sides will continue to live through getting to know each other, mutual understanding and harmony,” Dimitrov noted.