Skopje, 29 August 2024 (MIA) — Bulgaria's caretaker government is a legitimate government and it remains open to dialogue with North Macedonia, but attempts to renegotiate already undertaken international obligations can only lead to the country's further delaying its EU membership negotiations, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an official statement.

Regardless of whether it is conducted by a caretaker government or an elected government, this dialogue does not include a renegotiation of the commitments already agreed on, the MFA said. The statement was released in response to Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski's recent remark that Bulgaria's forming a political government after its Oct. 27 elections would make it possible to discuss and find "a common solution that will finally remove the decades-long blockade we have had as a country in the European integration process."

"Today's remarks by the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, unfortunately, once again openly questions his country's European perspective," Bulgaria's MFA said.

"It should be clear to the Skopje government that attempts to propagate ideas of renegoting already undertaken international commitments can only lead to the further distancing from the start of EU membership negotiations.

"This position of ours will not change regardless of whether we have a caretaker or regular government," it said, recalling that "as a result of unnecessary provocations and confrontation with neighboring countries, North Macedonia has lost too much time already in the process of opening accession negotiations."

According to the statement, the European Consensus of the summer of 2022 between the 27 EU member states and North Macedonia has fully laid out the steps the country needs to take to make tangible progress in its European integration process.

The Bulgarian position was clearly outlined in the country's parliamentary decision of June 24, 2022, supported by all political parties, Bulgaria's MFA highlights. This decision was "an expression of the Bulgarian citizens' will to support North Macedonia in the process of meeting the criteria for EU membership, provided that the neighboring country adheres to the highest standards in the field of human rights and fulfills the international commitments undertaken in good faith."

"This nationwide position will not be changed," the Bulgarian MFA said in its response to Mickoski.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Mickoski was asked a question if there were any potential creative solutions if Bulgaria did not want to renegotiate the constitutional amendments. The PM said the state should wait until a political government was elected in Bulgaria to open a dialogue.

"We are neighbors and we should build good neighborly relations," Mickoski said. "After all, we have this Good Neighborly Agreement that should be the basis for us to continue. Addenda of the sort of the French Proposal can have another addendum – ​a ​French Proposal Plus, etc." 

"I am convinced our eastern neighbor, if they look after their own interest, will understand that we need to start the negotiation process if we want to have the Balkans, as a whole, being part of the EU. I am convinced there are politicians there who want to see that," Mickoski added. mr/