President GordanaSiljanovska-Davkova said the key date for the future of the European Union’s enlargement process is September 30, when the European Commission is to unveil its pre-enlargement strategy.
In an interview with Kanal 5 TV, Siljanovska-Davkova said that on September 30, the European Commission will present for the first time a model for the future enlargement process, and then in October the European Council will discuss the same issues.
“These moments are crucial for us in processing the steps that are still possible and are being agreed upon,” said the Macedonian head of state.
Commenting on relations with Bulgaria, she said that after recent contacts with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, she sees room to intensify the dialogue and seek common solutions.
“The conclusion is that it takes a lot of effort, a lot of goodwill to make some progress. We need to invest something together to reach some kind of solution,” President SiljanovskaDavkova pointed out.
She noted that Bulgaria acts in a coordinated manner on foreign issues, regardless of political differences.
“We are a truly interesting phenomenon here, unlike Bulgaria, which acts unanimously everywhere, even when it is wrong,” Siljanovska-Davkova said.
As regards the European integration process, the President said constitutional amendments in themselves are no guarantee against new obstacles on the path to the European Union.
According to the head of state, the source of potential future blockades is the Second Protocol between Skopje and Sofia, the provisions of which are incorporated into the negotiating framework and the EU conclusions.
“The path will certainly open for a moment, but then a new obstacle will appear on the path again. You need to annul the source of the obstacles, which is the Second Protocol,” Siljanovska-Davkova noted.
She reiterated that the country seeks a solution that would prevent bilateralization of the European integration process, adding that the European Union has mechanisms to prevent blockades based on identity issues.
In the interview, President SiljanovskaDavkova pointed out that no one can guarantee that there will not be a new veto from a member state in the future, but the Union can establish rules according to which European integration will not be hindered due to issues that are not related to membership criteria.
