Athens, 1 June 2022 (MIA) – Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has told the 27th Congress of the European People’s Party (EPP) in Rotterdam that the Western Balkans should not be forgotten when it comes to the EU perspective, saying the settlement of the North Macedonia-Bulgaria dispute is a top priority, MIA reports from Athens. PM Mitsotakis said a debate on the future membership of Moldova and Ukraine in the European Union would take place in June, noting “discussions will not be easy because we already feel there are different positions in the European Council,” while expecting the opinion of the European Commission. He added that if there is truly a world before and after February 24, this must be taken into account “when we consider our openness to offer these countries a candidate status”. “On the other hand, we must not forget the Western Balkans. We should be certain we don‘t send a signal that the line has been skipped. A top priority in this regard is a solution to the open dispute between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, so that the EU begins accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania,” said Mitsotakis. The Greek PM added that the unique case of Ukraine must be recognized without forgetting the fact there are other countries already involved in the process.