Skopje, 20 June 2023 (BTA/MIA) - Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament Ilhan Kyuchyuk, who is rapporteur on North Macedonia's progress towards EU accession, has moved for an adjournment of a vote on a motion for a European Parliament resolution on the Commission report on North Macedonia which was scheduled for the end of June.

"The stepping up of speculation and populist statements in both North Macedonia and Bulgaria does not help reach a constructive dialogue and does not enlist the requisite broad support for the Resolution from the political families in the European Parliament," Kyuchyuk's office said.

"I am convinced that the forthcoming period before the report comes up for a vote will put the political elite in North Macedonia to a serious test and will gauge the country's readiness to proceed along the path of European integration by carrying out essential constitutional amendments. Otherwise, the critics who doubt North Macedonia's European aspirations may be proved right. In either case, the European Parliament will have a clear line on which to vote the report by a large majority in the autumn," the MEP pointed out.

The rapporteur on North Macedonia hopes that allowing more time, the European Parliament will facilitate the achievement of constructive dialogue in the Committee on Foreign Affairs and will contribute to building trust between North Macedonia and Bulgaria as neighbouring countries sharing a common future and aspirations in the European family.