Berlin, 28 June 2023 (MIA) – We are determined to conclude the constitutional amendments process before the beginning of the second intergovernmental conference. The Government and all coalition partners are committed to this. I urge the opposition MPs to be guided by the interests of the citizens, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski at a joint press conference with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

“The constitutional amendments have already been drafted in the Ministry of Justice. The Government is leading a process of consultations and we are determined to conclude this process before the beginning of the second intergovernmental conference. I once again urge the opposition MPs to be led by the interests of the citizens that have elected them. Everything else would mean isolation instead of integration,” said Kovachevski in answer to a journalist’s question.

The constitutional amendments, said Kovachevski, do not represent an identity issue, since, he said, these issues have already been solved in the Negotiating Framework and all other documents that are a part of it.

“We have a fully protected Macedonian language and identity, and this is being recognized by all our partners, especially Germany who adopted a Resolution in the Bundestag. We need to adopt the constitutional amendments by the end of the screening process in order to avoid bringing the process to a halt. For the first time we find ourselves in a situation in which we are being vetoed from inside, instead of outside the country. Which is why I urge the MPs to support this process, because this isn’t a process led by a single person, Government or political party, but because this is a broad societal process that fulfills a goal necessary for the country,” stressed Kovachevski.

The Prime Minister stressed that the EU integration should not be less important than the political rating or career of any politician in the country. 

Regarding the relations with Bulgaria, Kovachevski recalled that last week he held a phone call with the new Bulgarian Prime Minister, and that the Macedonian ministers have held meetings with their Bulgarian counterparts.

“You can see that all news have been positive. Very soon the Foreign Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European affairs will meet with their Bulgarian counterparts,” said Kovachevski.

With this, according to the Prime Minister, a path has opened to return to the positive dialogue and topics important for the future of the citizens and their daily lives. “Our region,” stressed Kovachevski, “needs politicians that will provide solutions, and not politicians who criticize on a daily basis and are focused on questions from the past.”