Skopje, 1 June 2022 (MIA) – According to President Stevo Pendarovski, the proactive approach of the French EU presidency is welcome. He hopes it could contribute to finding a solution allowing the country to open accession negotiations with the EU soon, the President’s office says when asked for a comment by MIA on whether a new French proposal is tabled in the efforts to settle the Skopje-Sofia dispute. Citing sources with knowledge of the process, DW earlier today reported that a French proposal has been put forward as advisors from the French foreign ministry and an aide from the French President’s office recently have traveled to Skopje and Sofia for meeting. “The current holder of the EU presidency, France, when taking over the presidency in January had announced a strengthened engagement aimed at finding solutions to open issues in the Western Balkans. Hence, the activities of the French diplomacy in the past six months, namely meetings at political and expert levels, are no attempt for a breakthrough; in fact, they are in line with the declared priorities as regards the Presidency of the Council of the EU. All activities aim at making a step forward in the dialogue with Bulgaria ahead of the EU-Western Balkan Summit and the European Council, scheduled to take place in the last week of June in Brussels,” the President’s office says in a statement to MIA. Asked about possible inclusion of Bulgaria’s proposals in the negotiating framework with the EU, the President considers the final text and the adoption of the negotiating framework as a process for any country that requires a full consensus of the EU member states. The basis for establishing the framework, he adds, is the European legislation, which includes rules as well as practices of what can or cannot be incorporated in the framework. “President Pendarovski’s position is based on the conclusion that no precedent should be allowed in the case with the Republic of North Macedonia paving the way for issues encroaching identity parameters that are not part of the European legislation to be included in the negotiating framework. The EU-adopted negotiating framework should be also approved in our country as well before the process of opening negotiations for joining the EU is formally launched,” says the President’s office.