The Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs, Bojan Maricik, at today's press conference with the German special envoy, Manuel Sarazzin, stated that the Government has shown a particular interest in overcoming the open issues with Bulgaria since the beginning of the mandate.

The Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs explained that the French proposal itself, which refers to the Prespa Agreement, means that we will start negotiations as Macedonians who speak the Macedonian language, adding that they have left history to historians and that these issues are not part of the negotiation framework.

- There are no traps. The good-neighbourly relations Agreement with Bulgaria is in the general part of the framework, where the principles of good-neighbourly relations are, and not in the part of the Copenhagen criteria. Its implementation will be based on the goodwill of both sides, which should improve relations, in parallel with our Europeanization process.                          And to this, as a social democratic government, we are fully committed from the very beginning, Deputy Prime Minister Maricik pointed out.

The special envoy for the Western Balkan countries, Sarazzin, in his address at the press conference, emphasized that in this historical situation he is coming to North Macedonia because he has confidence in the Macedonian politics, in the people and that he believes that together we will continue on the path to the EU.

- To me, as an MP and now as a special envoy for this region, its future means to me and I can say that I know that this is a moment that brings a certain hope in itself and I have a feeling that the door to progress with the EU integration process for North Macedonia is now as wide open as it hasn't been in a long time, Sarazzin said, adding that the decision to go through that door is up to our politics and our country, but he wishes we could walk this path together because we are in a time that shows how important it is to solve problems together and how important it is to organize together.

Link to the press-conference: https://youtu.be/ntkiDTrcLio