Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski expressed his expectation that the focus of the upcoming talks with President of the European Council António Costa, will be the reform agenda and the European integration process, as well as the possibilities for overcoming the obstacles that hinder Macedonia’s progress towards the European Union.
Regarding relations with Bulgaria, he indicated that there are areas in which progress can be achieved, especially in the area of infrastructure connectivity through Corridor VIII and the opening of the Klepalo border crossing.
“What does not give me much optimism at this moment is the way in which the current Bulgarian government, at the beginning of its mandate, is positioning itself towards us as a state. What is crystal clear is that constitutional amendments are not the only demand in Bulgaria. There are many elements that they see as an important part of our European integration process, which we believe do not need to be discussed in this time we live in. Bulgaria has expectations from us as a country that are related to identity issues – such as language, history and culture. Yes, the Bulgarian side, unlike all other member states and all European institutions, believes that the 2022 agreement is much more than just constitutional amendments, it is a reality that we are facing and for which we need to find a solution,” Mucunski noted in an interview with TV Sitel.
The FM adds that this is precisely the issue that needs to be resolved through the mediation of the European Union and the member states that are well-intentioned towards the European enlargement process.
Mucunski is adamant that the Government has no intention of opening talks on issues related to national identity.
“We as a Government are not ready to discuss any issue related to identity, language, culture and history at any cost,” FM Mucunski underscored.
