The European future of the Western Balkans has no alternative but Bulgaria has reservations due to the events taking place at present in the Republic of Macedonia, the Chairperson of the Committee on European Affairs, Monika Panayotova, has stated at her meeting with the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood, Štefan Füle.

On 31 October 2012, members of the Committee on European Affairs and European Funds Oversight conferred with the EU Commissioner Štefan Füle. Commissioner Füle, who is in charge of the EU Enlargement and European Neighborhood, is on one-day visit to Bulgaria. His visit includes meetings with President Rosen Plevneliev, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov.

We are concerned with the events currently taking place in the Republic of Macedonia. We consider this unhealthy for the good neighborly relations between the two countries, said Monika Panayotova. The nationalistic rhetoric, the attitude towards those who identify as Bulgarians by ethnicity, the administrative obstacles raised before Bulgarian businessmen – this, she stated, is not the behavior we would expect from a country willing to undergo the path to the European integration. Monika Panayotova declared Bulgaria was open for a dialogue based on the European norms and principles, in order to overcome the problems.   

The Deputy Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs, Vladimir Toshev, added that in the negotiation process for enlargement of the EU, the main principle that countries must comply with is the rule of law, the good regional cooperation and the good neighborly relations. He pointed out that in its bilateral relations Bulgaria would ask that Macedonia adheres to the terms of the Neighborhood Declaration, signed by the two countries in 1999. Our position remains friendly and in the interest of the positive development of Macedonia, Toshev underscored.

The Member of the Bulgarian Parliament, Yunal Lyutfi, who is also member of the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, noted the process of EU enlargement should continue, but the EU should also be unwavering on the countries meeting the political and economic conditions for membership. It is not acceptable for a country willing to become member of the EU and NATO to have problems with its neighbors, to propagate anti Bulgarian feelings among the children in its schools. Bulgaria as a responsible partner had tried on many occasions to help Macedonia, Lyutfi added.

Another member of the committee, Dimcho Mihalevski, noticed that Bulgaria is boycotted by Macedonia with respect to the common projects funded with EU money, which proves its unwillingness for rapprochement. He asked Mr. Füle for assistance in this respect.

The EU Commissioner on European Enlargement and European Neighborhood, Stefan Füle said that history belongs to the historians, but the politicians should look into the future. As for the accession of Macedonia to the European Union he noticed that in the last four years it as if the process had come to a standstill and insisted that the latter should have to be accelerated, set in motion. He noted the discussion undertaken about the neighborly relations was very important.

All problems must find their solutions before the accession of the countries in the European Union, in order not to make the negotiating process  hostage to these problems, commented Stefan Füle.