Skopje, 20 June 2022 (MIA) – The government’s position is that the negotiating framework should be a multilateral document that incorporates a structure for talks over accession to the EU as an organization of member-states, whereas bilateral issues should be resolved bilaterally with the countries concerned, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Monday. PM Kovachevski was quizzed by reporters if the country has changed its position that it would not accept the incorporation of bilateral issues in the negotiating framework. “On the negotiating framework, it is a multilateral document that has to be approved by all EU member-states and which is then submitted to candidate-states. This document should reflect the direction and rules that have to be followed in the negotiating process and the opening of various chapters, towards aligning the country with all aspects related to the Union. Considering that our EU and NATO integration path has been filled with bilateral issues, first with Greece and now with Bulgaria, the Government believes that the negotiating framework should be a multilateral document that incorporates a structure for talks over accession to the EU as an organization of member-states, whereas bilateral issues should be resolved bilaterally with the countries concerned,” Kovachevski told a joint press conference with Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin. He said the bilateral issues with Bulgaria and Greece are tackled by the Friendship Treaty and the Prespa Agreement respectively, hoping that the EU would adopt the negotiating framework that reflects a multilateral character. “The settlement of open issues, which has also been the case with other countries that had joined the EU while having bilateral issues with EU members, also defines the progress of the negotiations once they start. Therefore, I hope that EU member-states will adopt a negotiating framework that reflects the document’s multilateral character. Moreover, we also expect the Republic of Bulgaria to rise to the level of a neighboring country that wants to see its immediate neighbor join the EU as full-fledged member,” noted Kovachevski. On the protocol from the Bulgarian MFA, the PM said it has still not arrived in North Macedonia’s counterpart institution and clarified that the document is not a separate agreement but “a status and steps to be undertaken regarding the implementation of the Friendship Treaty and tasks arising from it, undertaken by both North Macedonia and Bulgaria”. “The protocol is a task for the countries’ ministries of foreign affairs and expert groups regarding the progress made in certain aspects. The protocol is signed at the level of MFAs and presents prior achievements and what comes next,” said Kovachevski.