Disagreements with Bulgaria have brought North Macedonia’s bid for EU membership to a stalemate.
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has ruled out any possibility to renounce the Macedonian language and identity for the sake of the EU.
“We don’t need the European Union if the price we have to pay for that is to give up the Macedonian language and identity, because we would be like dust disappearing in the air and there would be no one left to enter the EU”, said Zaev.
PM Zaev said that the country is reaching out for a helping hand to member states to lift the Bulgarian veto and launch membership talks with the bloc. But on the other hand, he emphasized the commitment to pursue negotiations with neighbor Bulgaria in order to resolve their dispute based on European values.
“Even though Bulgaria is heading towards new parliamentary polls, I hope we’ll reach a deal with their interim government. We have sealed other major agreements, defending our national distinctive features, as this is about the right to self-determination. We cannot sign any agreement that would determine our identity or language. This runs counter to European principles and values”, argues Zaev.
Last November, Bulgaria blocked the accession negotiations with North Macedonia, calling on the latter to admit that the Macedonian language and identity have “Bulgarian roots”.
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