Bulgaria protests to North Macedonian ambassador over EU accession comments

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has summoned the North Macedonian ambassador to express its dissatisfaction with remarks made by Aleksandar Nikoloski, North Macedonia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, during a press conference on August 29.

This was announced on the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry's official website, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

In its statement, Bulgaria reiterated its steadfast support for North Macedonia's European integration but expressed regret over what it described as systemic provocations and the failure of North Macedonian officials to meet previous commitments.

Bulgaria emphasized that these issues are delaying the start of EU accession negotiations for North Macedonia. The Bulgarian government, both current and future, is committed to upholding human rights and maintaining good neighbourly relations with North Macedonia.

Nikoloski's comments, reported by media outlets, suggested that discussions about amending North Macedonia's constitution and the conditions of its EU accession negotiations become prominent in Bulgarian media during election periods.

He voiced hope that the issue of North Macedonia’s European integration, which he described as having been blocked for ten years, would be resolved by the Bulgarian government following the early parliamentary elections on October 27.