EU ministers confirmed: Skopje cannot start accession negotiations until it resolves its disputes with Bulgaria

The ministers of European affairs of the European Union confirmed today that Skopje cannot yet start accession negotiations with the Union until it resolves bilateral disputes with Bulgaria.

After the video meeting of the EU Council for General Affairs, the ministers stated at the press conference that it was "made clear to North Macedonia that stability" in the region is very important, as well as "resolving disputes" with its neighbors.

"We have made it clear to Skopje that accession negotiations cannot begin until the issues of bilateral disputes are resolved," said the German official in charge of European affairs (Michael Rot).

It was reiterated that the EU is still in favor of expanding and holding the first EU intergovernmental conferences with Albania and North Macedonia.

Bulgaria's head of diplomacy, Ekaterina Zaharieva, said earlier today that Bulgaria did not support the draft negotiation framework for North Macedonia, with which Sofia blocked the start of its western neighbor's EU accession negotiations.