North Macedonia votes to end dispute with Bulgaria, clears way for EU talks

By: 3 years ago

North Macedonian members of Parliament from the ruling SDSM party, hold European Union and North Macedonian flags, during a parliamentary debate on a French-brokered deal aimed at settling disputes with Bulgaria and clearing the way to EU membership, in Skopje, North Macedonia, July 16, 2022. REUTERS

SKOPJE 鈥� Lawmakers in North Macedonia on Saturday passed a French-brokered deal aimed at settling a dispute with Bulgaria and clearing the way to long-due European Union membership talks.

With 68 votes, the 120-seat parliament voted in favour of the agreement. Opposition lawmakers did not participate in the vote and left the room.

鈥淭oday we are opening a new perspective for our country鈥rom today we are moving with accelerated steps to join the EU family,鈥� Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski said in a press conference after his cabinet approved parliament鈥檚 conclusions.Kovacevski said the first meeting between his government and the EU would be held on Tuesday.

The deal proposes that North Macedonia鈥檚 constitution be amended to recognize a Bulgarian minority. The proposal does not require Bulgaria to recognize the Macedonian language.

In exchange, Bulgaria will allow its West Balkan neighbor to start membership talks with the EU. After the agreement was adopted, governing party deputies rolled out EU and North Macedonian flags.

A VMRO-DPMNE member of parliament, North Macedonia鈥檚 biggest opposition party, plays a vuvuzela and displays signs, during a parliamentary debate on a French-brokered deal, aimed at settling disputes with Bulgaria and clearing the way to European Union membership, in Skopje, North Macedonia July 16, 2022. REUTERS

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who traveled to Skopje and urged lawmakers on Thursday to vote the deal, said the vote 鈥減aves the way for opening the accession negotiations rapidly.鈥�

Albania鈥檚 Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose country has been held back because the EU has linked its progress to that of North Macedonia, said an Albanian delegation would travel to Brussels on Monday to start membership talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the vote, saying Washington recognized 鈥渢he difficult tradeoffs considered in this compromise, which acknowledges and respects North Macedonia鈥檚 cultural identity and the Macedonian language.鈥�

The leader of the biggest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski, whose party protested against the deal since the beginning of July, said 鈥渘othing was over鈥�. He added his party would not back constitutional changes which require two-thirds of the vote.Bulgaria鈥檚 parliament lifted its veto on Macedonian-EU talks last month. This also triggered protests in Bulgaria and contributed to a no-confidence vote that toppled the government.

North Macedonia, a former Yugoslav republic, has been a candidate for EU membership for 17 years but approval for talks was first blocked by Greece and then by Bulgaria.

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