The VLEN coalition, part of North Macedonia’s ruling government led by VMRO-DPMNE, has offered to help restore communication between Skopje and Sofia in an effort to resolve the dispute over constitutional amendments required for the country’s EU accession process.
VLEN leader said ethnic Albanians in North Macedonia could serve as a bridge in the negotiations because of their own experience dealing with ethnic and constitutional issues.
“We need someone to act as a bridge regarding Bulgaria’s demand for the inclusion of Bulgarians in the Constitution. Albanians also have ethnic-related demands and issues, so we have experience solving such matters without confrontation,” Kasami said in an interview with MRT.
He added that the government remains committed to resolving the dispute but expects a stable political government in Sofia before serious talks can continue.
The inclusion of Bulgarians in North Macedonia’s Constitution is a key condition for opening EU accession chapters under the negotiating framework approved by the European Union in 2022.
The debate intensified further this week after reactions to the use of the term “North Macedonian” by Bulgaria’s new foreign minister, .
In an analysis published by Inbox7, journalist Sonja Kramarska argued that North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister had chosen confrontation instead of diplomacy.
“Major battles are won with a cool head, diplomatic skill and without emotional reactions,” Kramarska wrote, adding that Mucunski’s public response to the Bulgarian minister projected weakness rather than strength.
According to the analysis, the Macedonian reaction missed the broader substance of the dispute, despite the political sensitivity surrounding the terminology issue.
Tensions between the two neighboring countries escalated again this week after North Macedonia’s Foreign Ministry issued a formal verbal protest to the Bulgarian ambassador in Skopje over the use of the disputed term.