The rights of Bulgarians in North Macedonia are not protected, the vice president believes

published on 4/17/25 1:49 PM

Photo: BTA

Bulgaria does not impose additional conditions on the process and negotiations of the Republic of North Macedonia with the EU, said Vice President Iliana Iotova at the opening of the “EU meets the Balkans” forum in Sofia.

The forum is attended by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and government representatives of Turkey, Romania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro.

Iotova stressed that bilateral relations between the two countries are not a problem for Skopje not to start negotiations with the EU. She noted that this is the thesis of “our colleagues from the Republic of North Macedonia”, as well as some European politicians and experts who speak in the direction that the process is blocked by both sides.

“We want the European criteria to be respected, just as every country that has embarked on the path to real EU membership has respected these criteria,” said the vice president. "We continue to believe that the rights of Bulgarians in North Macedonia are not protected," Iotova emphasized and noted that the framework agreed with the EU in 2022, based on the French proposal, does not set out Bulgarian claims, but European criteria for membership, the main of which is the protection of human rights.

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