Skopje, 27 January 2023 (MIA) – The latest complication in the Sofia-Skopje relations will not interfere with the beginning of the process on constitutional amendments, says Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj and adds that the institutions have reacted and the politicians have condemned the physical attack on Hristijan Pendikov in Ohrid, and North Macedonia and Bulgaria must keep their friendship.

Deputy PM Marichikj told Telma TV the latest escalation of tensions in relations does not threaten Macedonia’s EU accession process.

“Of course it is not pleasant or positive but I think both our Foreign Minister and our Prime Minister have said that they see no reason to take any measures outside of what is included in the conclusions and the Negotiating Framework. This is why it is important to protect ourselves from daily political statements and tense situations and to have these obligations clearly listed for both sides, so that we can preserve the spirit of friendship that we are working on even in conditions such as these,” says Marichikj.

Asked on what will happen in the long term, when North Macedonia opens the clusters, the Deputy PM says that once the country adopts the constitutional amendments, the opening of Cluster 1 and the other clusters should begin.

“In the meantime, we aren’t wasting time, we are already working on the second cluster concerning the internal market and we expect to have screening reports on the two clusters on internal market and fundamentals by then. This will allow us to have a list of clearly defined tasks, including the Action Plan on minority rights which Bulgaria insisted on, until our membership. For those tasks to be validated by the EU, all member states have to accept them, including Bulgaria,” says Marichikj.

On how the country will manage to convince Bulgaria to give the green light for this document, the Deputy PM says it is in Sofia’s interest that the Action Plan is adopted as soon as possible.

“Because North Macedonia’s obligations arise from that Action Plan, but also the mechanisms for additional protection of the Bulgarian community. So, I think it is in the interest of Bulgaria since it will give them the opportunity to monitor everything we are doing on the issue,” says Marichikj. ad/ik/