The President of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, today assessed as scandalous Bulgaria's request to participate in the process of changing the Constitution of North Macedonia, which is a condition for his country to start the second phase of negotiations with the European Union.
"Even the occupiers do not make such demands to the countries, territories or states they occupy. In the 21st century, it is inappropriate for you to seek to interfere in the internal political and constitutional processes of any state," Pendarovski told reporters.
The President of North Macedonia pointed out that the answer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia to Sofia is "in place" that the process of constitutional changes is an internal issue, which is an obligation connected to the accession negotiations for EU membership, and that there is no possibility for Bulgaria to get involved in it. .
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovačevski, fully agreed with this answer to Bulgaria and emphasized that it is a decision that is solely within the competence of the Ministry of Justice, political parties and parliament.
The head of Bulgarian diplomacy, Milkov, said yesterday that Bulgaria would like to be included and consulted in the process of enrolling Bulgarians in the Constitution of North Macedonia. As Milkov said in Sofia, he brought this to the Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bujar Osmani, at yesterday's bilateral meeting.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, such a request did not arrive, nor did Ministers Osmani and Milkov discuss it.
In July of last year, North Macedonia started the first phase of negotiations with the EU in Brussels, in which screening is conducted, which should be completed by November, but is a condition for the second intergovernmental conference and the opening of the chapter on the inclusion of Bulgarians in the Constitution.
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