Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev addressed the National Assembly in an extraordinary briefing regarding the European Union’s decision to postpone the vote on North Macedonia’s progress report in its bid for EU integration.

Yesterday, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee agreed to delay the vote following a unanimous request from Bulgarian MEPs, proposed by rapporteur Thomas Weitz. The committee vote is now set for June 24, with the plenary session in Strasbourg scheduled for July. Weitz cited a “tense political debate” over the report as the reason for the postponement, highlighting that minority rights remain a European-wide concern.

“EU membership is not automatic; it depends on fulfilling specific criteria and conditions each candidate country must meet,” Georgiev emphasized in parliament. He was joined by MPs Toma Bikov (GERB), Gabriel Valkov (BSP), and Stanislav Balabanov (TISP).

Georgiev expressed gratitude for the unanimous parliamentary decision condemning North Macedonia’s recent escalation of negative rhetoric toward Bulgaria.

“This demonstrates our comprehensive awareness and steadfast commitment. We strictly uphold the consensus reached in 2022-the so-called French proposal-and will not deviate from it. Bulgaria remains constructive, clear on what benefits the region, and committed to such policies. A key element of the National Assembly’s decision is that we will neither impose nor accept any additional conditions on North Macedonia’s EU accession. This is a firm and unequivocal message underscoring our consistency and confirming our longstanding position.”

He also addressed concerns from North Macedonia regarding constitutional changes, assuring that Bulgaria will not use this as a pretext to demand extra conditions.