Sofia, 24 June 2022 (MIA) – Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said Friday the country’s National Assembly took a historic decision by giving a green light to the French proposal for the EU accession of North Macedonia in the EU, MIA reports from Sofia. “The integration of the Western Balkans is the strategic interest of the Union,” tweeted PM Petkov. He then told reporters in Brussels that the parliament’s decision was a responsible move and thanked Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska for resisting the pressure from her party by clearly saying “this is the best solution”. The PM added that European leaders have concluded that Bulgaria has made its step and assessed that the decision has been supported by the French government and the EU, “realizing that the Bulgarian demands are becoming European ones”. According to him, it is time for the Government of North Macedonia to lead its nation. “Now it is up to them to say whether they want to be part of the EU and if they are prepared to take the steps to make this a reality,” concluded Petkov.