Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Zoran Dimitrovski took part today in the fifth edition of the “EU Meets Balkans 5.0” forum, held in Sofia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade announced.
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During his speech at the Technology Park, Dimitrovski addressed the audience in Bulgarian. He explained that the government of North Macedonia had not instructed political representatives or representatives of other institutions to communicate in English while in Bulgaria.
“I can speak Macedonian, and I can also speak Bulgarian, which I do speak, but the most important thing is that we understand each other and that what I say matters,” Dimitrovski said.
He reiterated that the country is seeking full membership in the European Union and that European integration continues to be North Macedonia’s strategic objective.
“Our country’s future is in the European Union. We are implementing reforms for full membership and will continue working at a pace that is realistically possible,” the deputy minister said.
According to Dimitrovski, the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU should be viewed not only as enlargement, but also as an investment in Europe’s security, stability and competitiveness.
Dimitrovski said that North Macedonia remains committed to implementing reforms and aligning with European standards, while expecting its achievements to be properly assessed during the membership process. He also highlighted the role of good-neighborly relations and regional cooperation in the region’s European perspective, stressing that the country intends to strengthen them through open and constructive dialogue and the implementation of concrete regional projects.
Speaking about gradual integration, he said that this process should bring concrete European benefits to citizens and proceed at the same time as full integration, while maintaining a clear prospect of full membership in the European Union.
Regarding human rights, Dimitrovski noted that EU member states have differing positions on the issue. Nevertheless, he stressed that, for North Macedonia, respect for the rights of all communities is a clear commitment. In this context, he said that including Bulgarians in the Constitution is not a problem, as demonstrated, he said, by the Action Plan for Minorities, which applies to all ethnic communities in the country, including the Bulgarian community.
