Rumen Radev: Bulgaria expects guarantees for a solution to the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians
Bulgaria is actively working and supporting the European perspective of its neighbors in the Western Balkans as the safest measure to ensure security, stability and economic progress in our region. The country is not required to have relevant concrete results, both in the field of economy and demand, and on bilateral issues in the dialogue with Northern Macedonia. This was stated by President Rumen Radev at a working meeting with representatives of the EU and Switzerland, the press office of the head of state announced. Vice President Iliana Yotova also took part in the meeting, which discussed a number of topics on the European agenda.
Among the unresolved political issues, the solution of the rights of the Macedonian Bulgarians, the strengthening of the language of hatred and the encroachments on the Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage stand out. Leaving these issues aside will also slow down progress in the process of European integration, according to the president.
Activating the bilateral dialogue with our southwestern neighbor by building on what has been achieved so far is a positive sign. However, Bulgaria is not a new assurance, but a constitutional guarantee of the desire for the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians, by adding them to the preamble of the Constitution of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, along with the rest of the people, said Rumen Radev. According to the head of state, this should happen before the start of negotiations for EU membership of our southwestern neighbor.
Respect for human rights and the use of the Copenhagen criteria for membership cannot be treated only as a bilateral issue between Bulgaria and the PCM, which affects fundamental European values, cannot be negotiated and a clear indicator of PCM’s European maturity. It is difficult to accept the thesis that in the parliament of a candidate country for EU membership there is no majority of 2/3 to express the strong political will to accept full membership, Radev added. The introduction of the ideology of the former totalitarian regimes into a united Europe would also be inexplicable. As a responsible member of Bulgaria, he does not want to implement in the EU the detection of problems and the expectation of understanding, solidarity and support from its European unions on the issue of European integration of the PCM, said the President.
The high-ranking head of state of the new French EU presidency, including topics such as Europe’s strategic autonomy in the field of security and protection, provides crisis response and action plans, ensures the security of Europe’s external borders and the adaptation of the Schengen acquis. space to the new reality. The President reminded that since 2011 our country has met all the requirements for membership in the Schengen area, and in 2017 he submitted his proposal to the EU to prepare an operational action plan of the EU in case of a sharp increase in migration. flows to the Union’s land borders.
The debate on the future of Europe cannot be conducted without it alone, nor should a compromise be reached in the field of EU security, Rumen Radev said. The President replies that the EU member states are not only a “family” built on the basis of shared democratic principles and values, but also allies who together guarantee your security.
NATO is the main pillar of European security, but the issue of a lack of defense capabilities at EU level remains, which is clearly evident in the event of a crisis. Therefore, the head of state reiterated his call for closer integration in the fields of European protection of industry and science, which optimizes protection costs and increases the EU’s EU contribution to collective security. Rumen Radev praised the EU’s defense partnership, including joint training and airspace protection in Bulgaria, with a view to escalating tensions in Ukraine.
The President also said that Europe remains in the world to build a “green economy”, but the EU must not lose sight of the social and economic aspects of this transition. The transformation process should take into account the greatest costs of replacing basic energy capacities, as well as the risk of increasing Europe’s dependence on external factors in the supply of energy resources. According to the head of state, the external energy crisis and high electricity prices in Europe are a clear indicator of the risk of losing the EU’s competitiveness in the long run compared to other economic centers in the world. In this regard, Rumen Radev creates the hope of our country for the full recognition of nuclear energy as “green” by the EU, as well as for the necessary funds for research and production of energy-saving technologies and solutions within the union.