Conclusions of the EU General Affairs Council are to the benefit of Bulgaria, Macedonia and the entire region
12 December 2012 News
“Bulgaria will assist Macedonia to move forward on the path of European integration as swiftly as possible, and for that reason we welcome the Council conclusions. They will create a positive climate throughout the region,” Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister said during the EU General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels yesterday. The Council adopted conclusions in regard to which the EU expects progress from Macedonia in three areas – the reforms envisaged in the Dialogue regarding accession, relations with its neighbours and the name dispute.
Europe is standing with Bulgaria. I am pleased that the position of Bulgaria on the draft conclusions was adopted by the member states, Nickolay Mladenov said after the meeting. He said that the reservations regarding good neighbourly relations would be withdrawn as soon as the bilateral process proposed by Bulgaria produced concrete results. This would be to the benefit of Bulgaria, of Macedonia and the entire region, Minister Mladenov said. He reiterated Bulgaria’s clear desire to see its neighbours in the EU as soon as possible, in accordance with the accepted criteria. The European Commission is the body that will analyse the progress in reforms and good neighbourly relations and will report to the Council in spring 2013.