Prospects for Breaking the Deadlock in Bulgarian-Macedonian Relations
Prospects for Breaking the Deadlock in Bulgarian-Macedonian Relations

Author(s): Jakub Pieńkowski, Tomasz Żornaczuk
Subject(s): International relations/trade, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, Politics and Identity
Published by: PISM Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych
Keywords: Bulgaria; Macedonia; relations; foreign policy; deadlock; EU; identity;
Summary/Abstract: Due to identity disputes, Bulgaria blocked North Macedonia’s accession negotiations with the EU. The new prime ministers of these countries, Kiril Petkov and Dimitar Kovačevski, want to facilitate breaking the deadlock by tightening sectoral cooperation. They met on 18 January in Skopje, and a week later a joint government meeting was held in Sofia,. Withdrawing the Bulgarian veto may continue to be difficult without the greater involvement of EU partners. Meanwhile, the blockade of Macedonian - and thus also Albanian—talks with the EU is deepening the crisis of the enlargement policy, which is supported by Poland.

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