Skopje, 13 July 2023 (MIA) — A VMRO-DPMNE delegation led by Hristijan Mickoski and including the opposition party's Members of Parliament met Thursday with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, and Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Wlachovský.

The VMRO-DPMNE representatives thanked the top diplomats for their visit and discussed the country's issues related to the European Union, the party said in a press release.

"They stressed that the obstacle on Macedonia's path to the EU, more than Bulgaria, is the high-level corruption in the government, the lack of rule of law, and the abuse of institutions," the release says.

As examples of such abuse the party pointed out EU-flagging laws "to avoid debate and responsibility before the public" in a fast-track parliamentary procedure.

VMRO-DPMNE representatives also noted "the constructive role the country has had in the region in the past during all Balkan crises."

"Regarding the government's intention to leave out the opposition from the negotiations and push constitutional changes in Parliament under a Bulgarian ultimatum, the representatives unanimously reiterated their position that they will not support constitutional changes under dictation and that the state urgently needs to focus on completing real reforms," VMRO-DPMNE says, adding that the country's EU membership process must not include "playing with the national feelings of the Macedonian people." mr/