Skopje, 7 August 2023 (MIA) - Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani says the video he posted, in which he explains the Negotiating Framework, was a way to get out of the propaganda umbrella that the citizens are under at the moment.

FM Osmani told Sitel the propaganda against the constitutional amendments is in full steam but lacking arguments and debate, only abusing people's feelings for partisan profit.

"I am trying to get out of that propaganda noise and tell citizens it is not true. I come out, shatter all pillars of their narrative, and they have not denied anything. This was another example of me being attacked on everything but the content. No one came out to quote at least a single sentence from the negotiating framework in order to refute my claims," says Osmani.

On Article 5 of the Negotiating Framework, the FM says there is neither a written report nor a vote within the EU.

"It is simply an affirmation that North Macedonia has bilateral treaties with Bulgaria and Greece, that goodneighborly relations are important for progress, but there will be no written report on Article 5. The European Commission will not say at any time 'this is the level that has been reached', member-states will not vote, Bulgaria will not say 'let's see how far have we come with the implementation and vote on this'," says Osmani.

He explains that the EC provides annual written reports on the realization of the Acquis.

"There will be no written report on Article 5, there will be no vote in the EU. This is the key point that I want to communicate to the citizens," says Osmani.

Of course, he adds, goodneighborly relations will be taken into account.

"Poor relations with a neighbor, an EU member-state, will hinder progress, for sure. But the EU will not put the agreements with Bulgaria and Greece or Article 12 reviews on the agenda. There will be no such thing, and this is important to highlight. That is why I say in the video that the treaty will not be a step on the ladder we climb towards the EU," says Osmani.

He adds that Bulgaria can always find an alibi to hamper the process.

"It can say 'the Vardar river waters are not clean and that is why I am not letting you in'. But what it cannot say is 'let's see how far has the Friendship Treaty been implemented, what progress has the history commission made. The Negotiating Framework does not give Sofia this right," says Osmani.