Skopje, 20 July 2023 (MIA) – I haven’t spoken to Escobar after his statement, nor to Radev, but it’s not important to focus so much on what they are saying, but on what has been achieved here, because, at the end of the day, if the people here are committed to the EU, it doesn’t matter what Gabriel or Radev are saying, said United States Ambassador to North Macedonia, Angela Aggeler in answer to a journalist’s question at a press conference Thursday.

Asked by MIA to comment on the latest statement of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Special Representative to the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, in which he announced an engagement with the new Bulgarian Government in order to prevent further blockades of the country’s EU integration, and on the statement of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev that the constitutional amendments are only the first step of a series of demands to follow, Aggeler said what is important for the citizens and the Euro-integration process is that the state focuses on what it needs to achieve on that path.

“Even though a lot of things are being said in this country, in Bulgaria, in the rest of the countries of the region, still, everyone wants to see the country move towards EU membership,” said Aggeler.

The Ambassador stressed that Escobar maintains intensive contacts and communicates with all stakeholders in the process, and she said Escobar’s greatest hope is that North Macedonia and the region are doing everything they can in order to move towards European and Euro-Atlantic integrations.

The Special Representative to the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, before the House Foreign Affairs Committee (Subcommittee on Europe) hearing on US engagement in the Western Balkans on Tuesday said that Washington supports the process for constitutional changes that will enable North Macedonia's accession to the EU, and is also engaged with the new government of Bulgaria to ensure it makes no new demands.

“To further its EU aspirations, the government of North Macedonia has committed to enacting a constitutional change to recognize its Bulgarian minority. We strongly support this difficult but necessary step, and we are also engaged with the new government of Bulgaria to ensure it makes no new demands once North Macedonia fulfills its commitments under existing agreements,” Escobar said.

While commenting on the draft-constitutional amendments on Wednesday, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said it is the first very important and obligatory step, but not the last one.

“The fulfillment of the two signed protocols, which are an integral part of North Macedonia’s EU negotiating framework, is of exceptional importance. Finally, the issue of guaranteeing constitutional equality for the Bulgarians in North Macedonia can move forward,” said Radev.