Escobar visits Skopje, focusing on constitutional changes

2023-08-23 14:31:49, Kosova & Bota CNA

The envoy of the United States of America for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, will arrive on Wednesday for a visit to North Macedonia, the cabinet of the Macedonian president, Stevo Pendarivski, announced.

According to the MIA news agency, which announced Escoari's visit, the American diplomat will also meet in Skopje with the Prime Minister of the country, Dimitar Kovacevski, and the leader of the Macedonian opposition, the chairman of VMRO DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski.

The senior American diplomat will arrive in Skopje a week after the procedure for constitutional changes began in the Assembly of North Macedonia. With these changes, among other things, the Bulgarians will have to be included in the Constitution.

The changes are necessary to continue the European integration process of North Macedonia. At the session of the Assembly of North Macedonia, on August 18, there was a debate on the initiative to change the Constitution. However, the initiative was not put to a vote, in order to secure a two-thirds majority.

The amendment of the preamble of the Macedonian Constitution is foreseen in the agreement with Sofia for the resolution of disputes related to language, identity and historical issues.

The agreement is based on what is known as the "French proposal", which was approved in the assemblies of both countries.

But, if the changes are not approved, then the talks will not be able to continue, as Sofia retains the right of veto, which she used in November 2020.

The government claims that it has the support of 72 MPs and that it needs eight more for a two-thirds majority or 80 of the total 120 MPs in the Macedonian Parliament.

In July, US diplomat Escobar said in a debate on the Western Balkans before the subcommittee on Foreign Policy of the US Congress that "the US supports the process for constitutional changes that would allow North Macedonia to join the EU".

He said that he was also working with the new Government of Bulgaria not to make new demands.

The Macedonian opposition does not support these changes on the grounds that "the Bulgarian side will present new conditions that will be harmful to Macedonian interests".

The American ambassador in Skopje, Angela Ageler, when asked about her position regarding the process of constitutional changes, said that "it is not up to her to talk about it, but the citizens should let the politicians know that they want to be part of of the EU"./ REL