Skopje, 12 March 2025 (MIA) – After Wednesday's cornerstone laying ceremony for the Markova Noga border crossing point on the Macedonian-Greek border, EU Ambassador Michalis Rokas told reporters there is intense diplomatic activity over resolving the issue with Bulgaria, adding that EU leaders will be visiting Skopje in the coming months. 

"At the EU level we are working very hard together with the Government of North Macedonia to overcome any remaining issue before we open negotiations. There is intense diplomatic activity, exchanges. EU leaders will be visiting Skopje in the coming two to three months, and I'm hopeful that we will be able to move ahead," Rokas said in response to a reporter's question on the mood in the EU in terms of a statement from the European Council, the European Commission and the Bulgarian side that inclusion of Bulgarians in the Constitution will be the only bilateral issue on the country's path to the EU.

At the same time, Rokas added, while working on resolving this issue, efforts should continue to implement all the necessary reforms from the Reform Agenda, under the Western Balkans Growth Plan. 

In response to the same question, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said he had heard many statements so far, but follow-up action needs to be seen.

"I remember when top EU representatives, accompanied by top representatives of other countries in the world, sat in front of me telling me that the name change was the last thing we need to do. Naturally, we were against it even then, but even then I told them that they were not telling the truth and that it was not the last thing. We need to see actions, and actions in my opinion include recognition of the judgments of the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on the Macedonian community in Bulgaria. Clear and unambiguous recognition of the centuries-old Macedonian identity, as well as clear and unambiguous recognition of the centuries-old Macedonian culture, tradition, customs, and clear and unambiguous recognition of the Macedonian language, which has been an official language in the UN since 1945. We must respect the principles, otherwise we have a serious problem," said Mickoski. 

The PM added that as a state we do not have a problem with other nations, on the contrary we respect them.

"If someone has a problem because someone bigger than them gives them advice, and someone perceives that as interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state, then if what we hear from our eastern neighbor is not interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state, I do not know what it is. We are not a nation that has a problem with other nations, on the contrary, we respect our neighbors, both Albanians and Serbs, Greeks, Bulgarians, but we want to see equal respect for us Macedonians," said Mickoski.

European Parliament’s rapporteur for North Macedonia, Thomas Waitz, in an interview with MRT's Agenda 35 during his visit to Skopje late February, said clear statements are needed from the European Commission and the Council and the Bulgarian Government, as guarantees that the country is seeking to see no new unprincipled vetoes from Bulgaria after adopting constitutional amendments.  

"It is a matter of fact that meanwhile bilateral relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia are even part of the negotiation process. So, we will need clear statements from the European Commission and the Council, and we will need statements from the Bulgarian Government that with the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority into the Constitution the bilateral issues that need to be solved within the accession process are fulfilled and that there will be no more additional requests being put on the table, in relation to the accession process. When it comes to neighborly relations, this is a long process. I am an Austrian citizen and it took us 50 years to come to a common understanding of our common history. We all have history together, sometimes very painful history together, we should give it the time it takes," Waitz said. 

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