Skopje, 22 September 2022 (MIA) - Even though the French proposal is unbalanced, North Macedonia should seize the screening process and focus on reforms deemed crucial for the citizens and needed to move the country forward, Edward P. Joseph of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in the United States has said. Speaking to reporters after taking part in the annual international conference "Redefined Priorities: New Realities after the Ukraine Crisis" in Skopje, Joseph said the Prespa Agreement had been made on a fair basis even though Greece is a member of NATO and the EU with both Greece and North Macedonia making concessions. The French proposal according to the foreign policy analyst, does not harm Bulgaria's advantage, it reflects it, which is a mistake made by the United States and the EU since it creates a bad precedent in the Union. Joseph said it is up to the citizens to decide whether it threatens or not the Macedonian identity. The Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) once again urged the country to use the advantages of the screening process, launched earlier this month with the European Commission, in the areas of such as in rule of law and fight against corruption. Since the United States and the EU failed to put Bulgaria and North Macedonia at the same level, which was the case with Greece, and allowed Bulgaria to keep its leverage, according to him, North Macedonia should seek from the United States, France, Germany and Great Britain affirmation of the Macedonian identity, firm recognition of the Macedonian people, Macedonian language and even of aspects of the Macedonian history. To Joseph, the Open Balkan initiative is a good one for the countries in the region in terms of trade. However, he warns that it could be a bad idea to form it with a regime created to increase the Serbian political power. Serbia, he stressed, is an autocracy and is moving into the wrong direction, which means instability in the context of Russia and Ukraine. It's a good thing for North Macedonia to have solid relations and trade, with all its neighbors, including Serbia, he said. The way Open Balkan is designed, Joseph noted, allows Serbia to exercise political influence in the region, which leads to instability. "For your security, being a small country facing threats from Bulgaria, the country shouldn't be under Serbia's umbrella. You should seek your security under the umbrella of NATO and the EU and to maintain good relations with all countries and with Kosovo and Greece. Open Balkan should be balanced in a 'healthy Skopje-Pristina-Athens triangle'," stated the expert on matters in the region. As regards Bulgarian nationalism, Joseph calls it a real threat because Bulgaria has tendencies toward the history and identity of the country. "It is unheard of," he said adding it is a violation of the spirit of the Friendship Treaty. No constitutional changes are needed at the moment, said the expert calling on again the country to focus on reform implementation. Commenting in the US Department of State report that more than $300 million had been paid to non-government and government structures in Eastern European countries, Joseph said the report confirms the continuous threat from Russia and the countries supporting it, including Serbia which had refused to impose sanctions against Moscow. "The country's security is under risk from countries supporting Russia," he warned. The Skopje conference, organized by University American College and UNHCR in North Macedonia, brought together nearly 200 panelists from the country and abroad. Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska was one of the speakers.