The implementation of the bilateral agreement between Sofia and Skopje and the protocols and documents to it become part of Macedonia’s negotiating framework for negotiations with the EU. This is the first time this has happened, former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva told BG on air, Focus reports.

– The Republic of Northern Macedonia must prepare a roadmap and show lasting political will and permanent implementation of human rights obligations. This roadmap, which needs to be prepared, will be followed from the opening of the “fundamental issues” cluster until the end of the negotiations and will have to be reviewed every year. The EC will report, but the EC must report to the Intergovernmental Conferences, which are held every year, and Bulgaria is there. In fact, this is the Council. These are intergovernmental conferences. There are 27 countries, plus the candidate country, said the former Bulgarian Foreign Minister.

Regarding the protocols listed in the Negotiating Framework, Zaharieva clarified that before the current protocol, which is expected to be signed by Macedonia, there is another one signed in the spring of 2019.

Goce Delchev and Ilinden are also in this protocol. There are clear deadlines. However, this protocol not only did not accelerate the delayed implementation of the Agreement, but also how to postpone it, and even then we began to realize that it is very important for us and our European partners to commit to the entire negotiation process, the Republic of Northern Macedonia to fulfill their responsibilities, because they are not just a bilateral issue, as they try to simplify, it is a matter of basic human rights. These are the commitments they have made in the process of stabilization and association. It is about hate speech, again part of that process. That’s how we started working then. I’m glad that, although two years later