EU negotiations do not open, Zoran Zaev's reaction comes

Northern Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has reacted after the EU General Affairs Council in Luxembourg today has postponed the date for the first international conference for Albania and Northern Macedonia, due to Bulgaria's opposing stance.

Zaev in a Facebook post has written that northern Macedonia has successfully completed reforms released by the European agenda.

North Macedonia successfully completed reforms that were marked as duty by the European agenda. Sweden's Foreign Affairs Minister and current OSCE chairman, Anne Linde, has brought clear support from Sweden for northern Macedonia's European aspirations. We are honored to lead O The SEU in 2023 is recognition of Northern Macedonia's contribution as functioning of multiethnic democracy. With the experience we have in solving problems and open issues, we will contribute to finding solutions to challenges”, Zaev writes on Facebook.

Portugal's Secretary of State for European Affairs Paola Zacarias said she hopes this will happen in the next Slovenian presidency.

The Bulgarian representative at the meeting had said that “The EU does not understand how deep the problem between Skopje and Sofia”, that “this dispute is a European matter” and that “Bulgaria is in a specific situation due to the upcoming elections in July”.

At the start of the meeting, meanwhile, it was confirmed that Albania has met the criteria for negotiations.

Member states supporting enlargement, even before the meeting, were actually declared “pro” calling on the EU not to take into account bilateral conflicts. But it is now expected to be seen what decision-making there will be under the Slovenian presidency.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Gasper Downzan said earlier that during the Slovenian EU Presidency, which begins on July 1st, enlargement remains a key factor. /tch