Skopje, 18 July 2022 (MIA) - Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj says in an interview with Serbian daily Politika that the Government responded in a statesmanlike and responsible way to all the challenges it faced during the dialogue with Bulgaria and the EU, and that it protected the Macedonian language and identity in all the published documents, including the Protocol. "There is no chance for assimilation, bulgarization or territorial aspirations. On the contrary, we got a European proposal that allows us to start negotiations with the EU right away, with the Macedonian language and identity intact, and we have a compromise allowing us to overcome the open issues with Bulgaria in a determined framework for either party," says Marichikj. Asked if future blockades like this are possible on the road to EU accession, Marichikj says "not everything is predictable in politics and nothing can be guaranteed, but this government is ready to move forward towards its goal - full-fledged EU membership". "EU's rules are clear, and during the integration process, no one can guarantee that another country won't block us for an alternate issue. But, as a society, we are mature enough to judge what sort of decisions we have to make when it comes to our interests, and when compromise is necessary," adds Marchikj. He also says that even though North Macedonia's path towards the EU is difficult and full of obstacles, the country's European future has been confirmed, through a historic decision launching North Macedonia into the race for EU membership, with the country negotiating alongside Serbia and Montenegro. dk/ik/