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The inclusion of the Macedonian Bulgarians in the constitution of North Macedonia is the starting point for its European integration, Rumen Radev stressed in Brussels

 

The development of a new Zero Net Emission Industry Act gives a boost to the development of green technologies and to increasing European competitiveness, but it is crucial that all nuclear technologies used in the EU are part of it. This is what President Rumen Radev told the media before the start of the European Council meeting in Brussels.

 

The head of State pointed out that now this new act excludes certain nuclear technologies and relies only on small modular reactors and 4th generation reactors, which are still under development. That is why this country will insist that all existing nuclear technologies find a place in this Act, because Bulgaria has already lost a lot by stopping its four reactors when it joined the EU. We are still bearing the consequences of this. That is why at my meeting with President Macron at the last European Council this was one of the main topics, Rumen Radev said. Together with eight other EU member states, Bulgaria supported the common informal document.

 

The head of State also highlighted the importance of Bulgaria's Solidarity Ring initiative in the energy sector, which, at Bulgaria's suggestion, unites the gas transmission networks of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria. In this way, the additional quantities of natural gas from Azerbaijan, agreed by EC President Ursula von der Leyen last year, can be transported to Europe very quickly. At the end of April, at my invitation, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will be in Bulgaria again to sign a memorandum, i.e., Bulgaria is turning from a country through which only Russian gas used to pass into an active distributor of gas from various sources and is becoming a guarantor of energy security in the region, the President stressed. He also mentioned the importance of the country's access to the liquefied gas terminals in Greece and Turkiye, as well as the construction of the interconnector with Serbia.

 

The caretaker government has not renounced the funds from the Just Transition Fund for this year, the head of State further said in response to a question. For this year Bulgaria should receive EUR 800 million, the condition being to present by the end of the year its plans for a fair transition, coordinated with the three districts - Stara Zagora, Kyustendil, and Pernik, and active work is being done with the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira.

 

The deletion of the names of the Bulgarian clubs will not erase the firm determination of Bulgaria, the European institutions and our European partners for the Republic of North Macedonia (RNM) to include the Macedonian Bulgarians in its Constitution, which is the starting point for the integration of our neighbour into the EU, Rumen Radev stressed in response to a question. The head of State described the decision of the RNM as an expression of panic and frustration because the authorities there should finally admit that there are Macedonian Bulgarians and that the Bulgarian presence and cultural and historical heritage on the territory of the RNM is not from today or yesterday, but from over 1300 years ago.

 

Rumen Radev recalled that in May 2021, he had raised for the first time at the European Council the issue of the rights of the Macedonian Bulgarians and thanks to its hard work, the inclusion of the Bulgarians in the constitution of the RNM is now part of the negotiating framework. You have heard what the European leaders also said that this is a binding, and irreversible condition and there will be no changes in the negotiating framework. I think the problem here is clear enough, the question is now when the RNM will finally meet not our but the European expectations and requirements, and this should be clearly understood, the head of State concluded.