The Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov, has said that Portugal will be interested in continuing Germany’s efforts for the idea of EU enlargement as Berlin remains committed to this issue. The European Union can not afford 2021 to pass as 2020 with the failure of enlargement, said Dimitrov quoted by DW on Saturday.
“The accession process is a tool for Europeanization. However, no one is tying our hands to work on Europeanization if we no longer have access to the accession process. I think that the more we work at home, the stronger our position will be in terms of starting negotiations with the European Union,” he said.
According to him, the path of North Macedonia towards the Union isn’t an easy way. “It is very narrow and steep as the process is in crisis, enlargement is in crisis, and I think the European Union’s failure to implement its decision has sent a negative signal to a region that is geographically surrounded by EU member states,” Dimitrov said.
In addition he said the talks with Bulgaria will not continue until the March 28th elections. “Part of the Bulgarian political forces want to use this issue in the campaign. I do not think we will help if we get involved in this story. I think it is time to take a break from this problem and practically from Bulgaria. It is time to invest the energy and the limited time we have in fixing our ‘yard’,” Dimitrov said. /argumentum.al