STRUGA – Bulgaria can not set new conditions for North Macedonia, because the negotiating framework is close, said Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, answering the journalist’s question regarding the German resolution, which calls Bulgaria to refrain from setting new conditions for North Macedonia EU integration path.
“Let’s close the topic that tomorrow some Bulgarian Government can say we have a new condition. There is no new condition. The negotiating framework is close. In the negotiating framework, there are three guidelines. One of them has an Action Plan on minorities, which is the only condition that is a part of the benchmarks for opening and closing chapters”, said Osmani, Mia reported.
He added that Action Plan does not only concert the Bulgarian minority but all other communities in the country. Osmani assessed that all conditions will have to be fulfilled “in terms of equal rights for all citizens regardless of ethnic belonging”.
The Foreign Minister of North Macedonia reiterated that the negotiating framework includes both the Prespa Agreement and the Treaty with Bulgaria, in the general section, where good neighborly relations are assessed, and not in the section with the guidelines.
He expressed a hope that the dialogue with Bulgaria will improve, and relations will be constructive.
“We hope that we will build relations led by goodwill, in which we will create mutual understanding and respect and that both sides won’t have a calculator in their hand, assessing, who has fulfilled what from the agreements. I hope for this kind of relationship with Bulgaria”, Osmani said.
He announced that he and the new Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariya Gabriel, agreed to have a meeting fairly soon either in Skopje or Sofia.
Speaking about the constitutional amendments, Osmani stressed that they are working on two parallel trajectories – one with the opposition as a whole and the other with MPs in Parliament.