The Council of Ambassadors, referring to the results achieved by the European Union Summit, considers that a historic step has been achieved with the granting of candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, as well as the open European perspectives for Georgia. However, in terms of the aspirations of the Western Balkans, the failure of the past years is repeated. North Macedonia and Albania did not receive a date for negotiations, Serbia-Montenegro stumbled, BiH did not receive candidate status, and Kosovo did not receive visa liberalization.
The bilateral protocol, which has not been signed by the representatives of the joint commission and adopted by the Bulgarian Parliament, must not remain in the conclusions of the European Council, as it will allow Bulgaria to constantly refer to the controversial parts of the this document.
The Council underlines once again that historical issues should not be an integral part of the Negotiating Framework.
As for the most sensitive issue of identity, which is the language, if Bulgaria insists on the non-recognition of the Macedonian language, it should be made clear that the citizens, political and state institutions of our country will reject such a Negotiating Framework. Otherwise, according to the French proposal, the language of translation of the acts of the Union is Macedonian, and it cannot be subject to negotiations.
The Council of Ambassadors considers that “Sofia’s proposal is unconditional and unrealistic, as a conditio sine qua non to condition the opening of the Constitution for the inclusion of self-proclaimed Bulgarians from North Macedonia in the Preamble of the Constitution before the start of accession talks”.
