Macedonian delegation to participate in PACE debate on supporting European perspective for Western Balkans
Strasbourg, 10 October 2022 (MIA) – The Autumn plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is extremely significant for the Western Balkan countries and for the Republic of North Macedonia, given that the representatives of the parliaments of the 46 member countries of the Council of Europe will discuss a report prepared by Greek MP George Papandreou on supporting the European perspectives of the Western Balkans, and a Macedonian parliamentary delegation is to also be included in the debate, MIA’s Strasbourg correspondent reports.
Members of the Macedonian parliamentary delegation led by SDSM’s Darko Kaevski, including DUI’s Arta Bilali Zendeli and VMRO-DPMNE's Aleksandar Nikoloski, have already registered for the debate.
MP Aleksandar Nikoloski said during his address he will stress the role of the country as a factor of democracy and stability in the entire region.
“However, I will also say that Macedonia has been waiting for many years to start EU accession negotiations. It is unfair, because first Greece blocked Macedonia with its veto on the negotiations, and now Bulgaria is doing it,” said Nikoloski.
According to Nikoloski, Bulgaria is doing it in the worst possible way, disputing the Macedonian national identity, Macedonian distinctiveness, culture and history, as well as the uniqueness and existence of the Macedonian language.
Nikoloski said such behavior of Bulgaria “is not European values".
“These are not values that are shared in the Council of Europe and the European Union. These are not values that are recognized in Strasbourg and Brussels. And that is why it is very significant that the whole of Europe stands behind Macedonia and supports the start of negotiations with the EU without any additional conditions on the part of Bulgaria,” Nikoloski added.
Nikoloski believes that change to the Constitution as demanded by Bulgaria is "a direct intrusion into the internal affairs of Macedonia and must not be a condition for the start of negotiations with the EU".
