Skopje, North Macedonia (AP) – The highest official of the European Union foreign policy urged northern Macedonia on Friday to make decisions of “determination of the era” to advance its candidacy for the accession to the EU.
Speaking in the capital Skopje alongside Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, the head of the EU foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, reaffirmed the support of the block, but stressed that progress depends on several interior reforms.
“The road to membership is not easy, so my message today is to stay on the route and take the next steps to open negotiations,” said Kallas. “The north of Macedonia faces choices defining the era for its citizens and its future.”
The key among these stages is a constitutional amendment to officially recognize a Bulgarian minority – a condition established by the neighbor of the EU Bulgaria to veto the membership of the North Macedonian. The question has become a political flash point in northern Macedonia, where the conservative government insists that EU membership should not be affected by bilateral differences.
Although the European Union has not accepted any new member since Croatia’s membership in 2013, the war in Ukraine and the concerns of broader European stability have refocused the efforts to advance membership offers.
“The integration of Western Balkans into the EU is the best peace and security recipe,” Kallas said. “We are ready to support northern Macedonia to strengthen the rule of law, fight against corruption and modernize public administration.”
Northern Macedonia and Albania began membership talks with the EU in 2022 after years of delays, widely led by the veto of Bulgaria on cultural and historical disagreements with Skopje. Albania has since progressed in the process.
Mickoski reiterated his position according to which Bulgaria must first approve the members of northern Macedonia before any constitutional change.
“We belong to the EU not because someone owes us, but because we have built a democracy based on European values”, the Prime Minister. “We expect fair treatment and coherent leadership of the union.”
Kallas visit to Skopje was part of a two -day wider visit to the Western Balkans. Six regional countries are at various stages of EU membership. Montenegro and Albania lead the process, while Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia.
