EU not starting accession talks with North Macedonia is unfair, says Hungarian minister

Brussels not starting accession talks with North Macedonia is unfair because the country has introduced all the required measures, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Skopje on Monday.

He said at a joint press conference with North Macedonian counterpart Bujar Osmani that the “Western Balkans was once again deceived” at a European Union ministerial meeting last week because accession talks could still not start despite a decision made a year and a half ago.

“We consider the situation damaging, dangerous and contrary to EU interests both in terms of security and economic interests,”

he added. He slammed the EU’s policies on the Western Balkans, stating that it had “narrowed down to lecturing and sactions”.

At a time when the EU is facing historic challenges, the community needs “some success, some positive development”, and enlargement would give such an opportunity, he said.

“We respectfully ask Bulgaria to enforce their justified national interests during the accession process rather than block the process,”