We have a huge national interest in the Republic of Northern Macedonia (PCM) to start EU membership negotiations as soon as possible and one day be part of the European family, even if only because of our common border and the stability of that part of Europe.

But this cannot be done at the cost of the Bulgarian interest and by violating the EU's own criteria, which the union has established itself.

This was stated by Vice President Iliana Yotova

Iliana Malinova Yotova is a Bulgarian politician, 5th Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria.

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Relations Bulgaria - RS Macedonia 376

Together with President Rumen Radev, she attended the opening of the exhibition "The Image of the Master", dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Dimitrov - the Master in the Gallery "Square 500".   

The President: The good intentions of the government must find legislative support

The biggest disappointment today is that the European Parliament did not adopt a very important amendment to the resolution on the Republic of Northern Macedonia and this is the amendment to protect the rights of Bulgarians in Macedonia, said Vice President Iliana Yotova

Iliana Malinova Yotova is a Bulgarian politician, 5th Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria.

According to her, no compromise has been reached to include this text in the resolution.

"Bulgaria's most important claim is missing from the EP resolution. Unfortunately, Bulgarian MEPs have not been able to make a good lobby among their colleagues to protect not only the position of the PCM, but also the pan-European position and the Bulgarian position." Yotova commented.

She said she had very strong doubts when the resolution went through the relevant committees before reaching the plenary today.

Even then, a group of Bulgarian MEPs had introduced this amendment, which specifically guarantees the rights of Bulgarians.

They could not defend it, they could not convince their colleagues that this is a real problem and that this claim of Bulgaria is based on real facts.

Moreover, this amendment could not even be included in the compromise text, Yotova said. 

According to her, a lot of time has been missed since 2019 to explain to our European partners that Bulgaria's position is not just a Balkan position, but a position based on real facts.

The fact that there is discrimination against Bulgarians in the RSM, that there are conditions that Bulgaria sets and which, unfortunately, have not been observed for so many years.

When it comes to pressure, the press, let this press be to the country that wants to join the EU, not to the country that has been part of the EU for so many years, said Vice President Yotova.

Relations Bulgaria - RS Macedonia

Iliana Yotova

Macedonia's membership in NATO and the EU