Struga, 16 June 2023 (MIA) — It is unrealistic to expect that the EU would open the Negotiating Framework again. Germany will be against it, German Federal Government Special Representative for the Countries of the Western Balkans Manuel Sarrazin said in a MIA video interview done on the sidelines of the Prespa Forum Dialogue 2023.

"The Negotiating Framework was unanimously decided at the 27 EU Council. We will not start opening such a decision again, it is adopted and it cannot be changed. It is a guarantee for North Macedonia that it is adopted in a way that cannot be changed easily afterward so that Bulgaria cannot put new conditions inside.

"This was one of the key points of last year’s proposal. So it is totally unrealistic that we will open this again. Germany will be against opening of the Negotiating Framework again," Sarrazin said.

Asked to comment on the outcome of the recent leaders' meeting between Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski and opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski and whether his demand to delay the enforcement of the constitutional amendments was realistic, Sarrazin said he would have to talk to Mickoski first.

"I haven’t talked to Mr. Mickoski about the exact drawing of this proposal so I cannot really comment on it. I can just say we will stick to the Negotiating Framework and we will stick to the second French proposal. I don’t see any room to go out of this. So you would have to ask him or ask me again after I had the chance to talk privately to Mr. Mickoski about this proposal," Germany's special envoy for the Western Balkans said. ik/mr