28.08.2023
The counties in the Balkans must understand that we will be strong only if we stand together. This is all we need to move forward. With these words, Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov addressed his homologues from Serbia, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Croatia and Albania in the leaders’ panel at the 18th Bled Strategic Forum (BSF). The event was joined by the President of the European Council Charles Michel.
“I will be more than happy that the next time we meet in this format all non-EU countries that are present here will be negotiating their accession. The Balkans are a common economic and geographic region and I hope they will become a political region. However, our countries have a lot of homework to do. After all, the EU is not just a geographical union. It is based on values that unite us,” Bulgaria’s Prime Minister said.
Everyone is staring at our people and asking why we are stopping the Macedonians on their way to the EU on grounds of the change in the Constitution. However, the question can be worded differently: why is it a problem to include the Bulgarians in the list of nations incorporated in the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia, Acad. Nikolai Denkov asked. “It is a political problem that is now part of the negotiations between the Republic of North Macedonia and the European Union. I hope it will be resolved as per the European proposal of 2022,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
Bulgaria has its “homework” to write to persuade the Netherlands and Austria that impede our accession to the Schengen Area. Acad. Denkov pointed out that the government has a list of tasks and a schedule for their accomplishment. “We want to do our homework 100% to make sure that when we negotiate, there won’t be anything in our country that they may say it is wrong,” the Prime Minister said.
Since its establishment in 2005, the Bled Strategic Forum has been a leading conference in Central and Southeast Europe. It enables diplomats, politicians, economists, the private and public sector and the academia to discuss key 21st century regional and global challenges and to find innovative solutions to them. The motto of this year’s international conference was “Solidarity for Global Security. The 18th BSF included fund raising to relieve the situation of people who were afflicted by the disastrous floods in August 2023.
