Skopje, 31 August 2021 (MIA) – Starting the negotiations is not ours to decide; it’s up to the EU to decide what to do with the process in the region and whether it will preserve its credibility, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said at a press conference with Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in response to a reporter's question on how realistic were expectations for overcoming the Bulgarian blockade of EU talks. "There should be clearly defined messages for the region. I know these messages, because 26 member states are disappointed by what’s happening, and they know that North Macedonia deserves to start the negotiations right away," Osmani said. He noted that the political condition in Bulgaria was unpredictable. There will be a third cycle of elections and it is crucial for communications with Sofia to continue. “What we can do in this context is to continue communication in order to keep it alive. I spoke to the minister on Friday and we agreed on a new dynamic of contacts on an expert level, but it’s not that easy to make a decision without a political government. What we can do as a government is these three things: to continue reforms at home, to continue communication with our partners to explain our positions, and to continue communication with Bulgaria toward finding a solution,” Osmani said. The Minister said that it was important not to slow down preparations for EU membership, because the issue of whether the country would or would not join was a non-issue. “The question now is when, not whether, we join," Osmani said. "The changes in the EU’s political context, the regional political context, must not take us by surprise. It is a fixed constant that must guide us. The reforms must continue even more intensely. I see this disappointment being reflected in the administration and state services, but we have to restore enthusiasm because these reforms are for our citizens, and there will be a moment when the process is unblocked, as the case was with NATO." The foreign minister added that "obviously the ball is not in our court, but in the courts of Brussels and Sofia." dk/mr/