Comment on this story Comment Gift Article ShareSOFIA, Bulgaria — The foreign ministers of Bulgaria and North Macedonia met in Sofia on Sunday to discuss the next steps of North Macedonia’s path to EU membership talks, a day after the parliament in Skopje voted in support of a French proposal that should lift Bulgari’s veto of North Macedonia joining the bloc. EU member Bulgaria had until recently held up any progress for those accession talks, accusing North Macedonia’s government of disrespecting shared cultural, linguistic and historic ties. North Macedonia will start accession talks with EU on July 19, its prime minister announced Saturday. Bulgaria’s National Assembly already has approved the French proposal, but legislators set additional conditions for agreeing to North Macedonia’s EU membership. AdvertisementThe size of the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia is a matter of contention.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 18, 2022 00:19 UTC