To start negotiations for membership in the European Union (EU), the Republic of North Macedonia must amend its Constitution.

This was stated in Skopje by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. Her words came during a meeting of Western Balkan leaders dedicated to the Growth Plan for the region, BGNES reported.

"Our political goal is to proceed with the opening of the first cluster of negotiations between North Macedonia and the EU. This means that Macedonia must fulfill all the conditions agreed by the European Council, which means implementing the constitutional changes. This is well known. As the EC, we emphasize the need for constructive dialogue between Bulgaria and North Macedonia in a spirit of mutual trust and understanding. I believe it is important to help Macedonia in its progress towards the EU, especially as some other countries in the region are moving towards the final stages of the process," Kos said.

Asked about proposals by Bulgarian MEPs to amend Thomas Waitz's report on Macedonian identity and language, Kos said:

"Your membership is the best way to protect the identity, culture, and language of Macedonians because the EU is built on the principle of diversity. Slovenia is also a small country, and since we joined in 2004, Slovenian has become one of the official languages. Moldova is also a candidate country and we are helping that country to counter the Russian narrative that challenges their identity. In my opinion, identity cannot be linked to political claims. It is something we all carry in our hearts and souls. Identity is the way we feel in our own country and the way we care for our traditions. | BGNES