French President Emmanuel Macron thanks Bulgaria for the decision on North Macedonia

French President Emmanuel Macron was relieved after the end of the European Council meeting after it became clear that the Bulgarian Parliament gave a mandate to the Council of Ministers to lift North Macedonia's veto for EU membership negotiations.

Bulgaria lifts the veto on North Macedonia's EU talks as per French EU Council Presidency proposal

He thanked Prime Minister Petkov, but also all Bulgarian parties, including the opposition.

France, which wants membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania to start by the end of June will continue in the coming days to work actively for this.

"I would like to welcome the vote of the Bulgarian Parliament, which opens the way for the lifting of the Bulgarian veto and the start of negotiations with North Macedonia and thus the Albanian file advances. In the coming hours, we will continue with the necessary technical work and talks with our Bulgarian and Macedonian partners in order to formalise an agreement in the coming days. The machine is running", Macron said.
For his part, European Council President Charles Michel thanked the French EU Council Presidency and noted that efforts continue in the coming days, after today's vote in the Bulgarian National Assembly.

Outgoing Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said that Emmanuel Macron, Charles Michel, Olaf Scholz, Ursula von der Leyen and all other leaders had congratulated him on Bulgaria's pro-European stance. According to him, Bulgaria's demands regarding North Macedonia are now becoming European and Brussels will be a guarantor for their implementation. Now it is Skopje's turn to define its position.

"What the European leaders appreciated is that Bulgaria took its step and the other thing they appreciated is that this decision is the decision that the French government, the EU actually supports, actually acknowledges and realises that the Bulgarian demands are now becoming European and now it is time for the government of the Republic of North Macedonia to lead its nation. What is up to them now is to say that they want to be part of the EU," Petkov said.

The outgoing prime minister thanked the MPs in Bulgaria and especially Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska.

European leaders today also discussed other important issues related to high inflation and energy prices and agreed to work together to tackle the problem.