Vroeg in 2020 het Kroasië se EU-presidentskap daarin geslaag om sy beleid van die integrasie van die Wes-Balkan te hernu. Dit het gebeur ná die aanvaarding van die Franse voorwaardes vir die onderhandelinge om omkeerbaar te wees, met die kandidaatlande wat van die begin af aan die standaarde vir die oppergesag van die reg voldoen het. Die Europese Kommissie het as 'n prioriteit die begin van lidmaatskapgesprekke met die Republiek van Noord-Masedonië en Albanië aangekondig. Bulgarye het dit verwelkom en die proses gekoppel aan die bereiking van tasbare resultate deur Noord-Masedonië oor die implementering van die Verdrag van Vriendskap, Goeie Buurskap en Samewerking tussen die twee lande vanaf 2017. Daar is gesê dat Albanië die regte van die Bulgaarse nasionale minderheid moes monitor. in die land.
Die Duitse presidensie het 'n beroep gedoen dat onderhandelinge met die Republiek van Noord-Masedonië teen die einde van 2020 moet begin. Die EU het in Junie gewaarsku dat dit nie die dialoog tussen Bulgarye en Noord-Masedonië sal bemiddel nie, dat goeie buurbetrekkinge en streeksamewerking noodsaaklike elemente bly van die uitbreidingsproses. Daar was groot hoop dat die gesamentlike Bulgaars-Masedoniese presidentskap van die Berlynse proses sal 'n positiewe atmosfeer skep vir die oplossing van die saak. ()
Tog het die forum se leierskapvergadering in Sofia in November geëindig met die ondertekening van 'n verklaring oor die skepping van 'n gemeenskaplike streeksmark in die Wes-Balkan en 'n Verklaring oor die Groen Agenda. ’n Deurbraak in Bulgaars-Masedoniese betrekkinge is nie bereik nie en Bulgarye het in Desember die tegniese begin van Noord-Masedonië se EU-integrasie veto. Meer oor die gevolgtrekkings van die Europese integrasie van die Wes-Balkan in 2020 in die onderhoud met Assoc. Prof. Spas Tashev*:
“Kandidaatlande moet ook aan sekere lidmaatskapkriteria voldoen. Dit is duidelik dat hulle nogal ver is om hulle te ontmoet.” kommentaar die navorser en kenner van die Balkan-streek in 'n onderhoud met Radio Bulgarye. “Selfs Serwië wat al meer as 8 jaar met die EU onderhandel, maak nie nuwe hoofstukke oop nie. Ander, soos Bosnië en Herzegovina, Kosovo is selfs verder agter. Ons moet voorberei vir 'n lang proses, eers om voor te berei vir die begin van onderhandelinge, en dan om self die onderhandelinge te voer”.
In die uitgaande jaar, onder die voorwendsel dat verkiesings in die Republiek van Noord-Macedonië, die Gesamentlike Kommissie vir Historiese Aangeleenthede
<p>from the side of North Macedonia came out with the argument that it was waiting for a mandate to continue the negotiations. One year was lost. The upcoming elections in Bulgaria are yet another straw that might be grabbed by Skopje to postpone the resumption of talks. It is a fact that there are still violations of the human rights of the citizens in the Republic of North Macedonia, who, despite the repressions, have preserved their Bulgarian self-consciousness. I think that when these facts reach our partners, they will think twice whether they will lightly support Skopje."</p> <p><b>Is there a useful move?</b> Bulgaria should look for an ally in the presentation of its thesis on the case with the European integration of North Macedonia and in the first place these are the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, according to Assoc. Prof. Tashev:</p> <p>"I have lived in Skopje for 4 years. There is a multi-layered self-consciousness in North Macedonia, even an identity crisis. Many people are wondering what the messages from Bulgaria are, which will be, if not well received, then at least received with interest. <b>In any case, Bulgaria must strengthen its work among the Bulgarian community in the Republic of North Macedonia and the descendants of the old Bulgarian-Macedonian emigration to the United States and Canada</b>. It should also promote the creation of objective, civil society-controlled media in the country without fake news”.</p> <p><b><i>In negotiations with the EU, Albania is bound to the Republic of North Macedonia. Can this change?</i></b></p> <p>"I think the first signal came from Sofia, when our authorities said that Albania was meeting the criteria whereas Skopje had not met them, which is why we are saying yes to Albania, and we are saying 'no' to North Macedonia start negotiations. Attention must be paid to the Albanian factor in the Balkans, which is not united. There is a great difference in political influence from Tirana and from former Yugoslavia. The key to stability in the region is the integration of Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Albania /i.e. of the countries of the European Corridor 8, but with mutual respect for our common interests."</p> <p><b><i>Does the lack of reforms or the Kosovo issue determine the course of Serbia’s European integration?</i></b></p> <p>"The Kosovo issue is like a millstone around the neck of Serbian politicians," says Assoc. Prof. Tashev. “It will be very difficult for Serbs to break their emotional strands with Kosovo. From this point of view, the processes in Serbia and Macedonia, as successor states to the post-Yugoslav space, are similar. In both countries, we have seen political elites say they want EU membership, but in practice they were working in a completely different direction”.</p> <p><b><i>What is the worst-case scenario for the Western Balkans in 2021?</i></b></p> <p>"The worst-case scenario is a passive Bulgarian policy that runs after the events and does not generate political knowledge," the analyst concludes. "The goal of the Bulgarian foreign policy should not be to isolate North Macedonia from such a negotiating integration process, but rather to create such conditions under which the negotiation process could start while Bulgaria’s national interests are also achieved."</p> <p><i>* Assoc. Dr. Spas Tashev graduated from the Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the University of National and World Economy. He is the founder and first director of the Bulgarian Cultural Information Center in Skopje and a former deputy chairman of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad. He has a doctorate in statistics and demographics from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He has defended a dissertation on "Demographic perspectives of Bulgaria and immigration policy." He has participated in the updates of the Strategy for Demographic Development of Bulgaria. He is the author of a number of books and scientific articles.</i></p> <p>English Rossitsa Petcova
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