"Euractive": Washington increases pressure on Sofia for Skopje's European integration

Citizens near the EU InfoCentre in Skopje Macedonia
Citizens near the EU InfoCentre in Skopje / Photo: EPA-EFE / GEORGI LICOVSKI

The United States is stepping up pressure on Bulgaria, urging it to drop its veto on Northern Macedonia's EU integration and quickly approve the negotiating framework for Skopje's membership in the Union, Euractiv magazine reported.

The article quotes US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs and Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar for Radio Free Europe as saying that a compromise should be reached on the bilateral issue between Sofia and Skopje as soon as possible, and that the EU integration should be unblocked. Northern Macedonia.

- It is wrong for Bulgaria to use a bilateral dispute to stop Northern Macedonia's aspirations for EU membership. They turn this into a multilateral issue that affects us all, says Escobar.

According to him, some "good solutions" have been given to resolve the issue and Washington will continue to pressure Sofia to find a compromise. Escobar also says he would like accession talks with northern Macedonia and Albania to begin this year, adding that both countries deserve it.

In the context of Escobar's statement, it is stated that Washington supports EU integration in the Western Balkans as a way to prevent the growing influence of China and Russia in the region.

"Euractive" also states that EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Verhei was in Sofia yesterday and met with President Rumen Radev and Foreign Minister Svetlan Stoev. The main topic of the meetings is the Bulgarian veto on the integration of Northern Macedonia into the EU.

Source: MIA

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