North Macedonia's Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski attends a session of the parliament, in Skopje, North Macedonia, July 16, 2022. North Macedonia's parliament on Saturday voted to approve the conclusions on French proposal presented by the ruling majority on the negotiating framework for opening the European Union (EU) accession talks. (Photo by Tomislav Georgiev/Xinhua)
SKOPJE, July 16 (Xinhua) -- North Macedonia's parliament on Saturday voted to approve the conclusions on French proposal presented by the ruling majority on the negotiating framework for opening the European Union (EU) accession talks.
Sixty-eight out of 120 Members of the Parliament (MPs) voted in favor of the draft conclusions submitted to the parliament by the ruling Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) and Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) parties, while opposition MPs did not participate in the vote.
The parliament session resumed on Saturday for the third day in a row during which MPs held heated debates on the negotiating framework for North Macedonia proposed by the French EU presidency on June 30 to resolve conflicts with Bulgaria.
The conclusions give clear directions to the government on what to negotiate during the process of accession to the EU, demanding unconditional respect to the identity, language, cultural and historical characteristics of the people of North Macedonia.
Addressing the parliament of North Macedonia on Thursday, visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that should the lawmakers endorse the French proposal, the EU would be able to launch accession negotiations for North Macedonia "as soon as next week."
Bulgaria has been blocking North Macedonia's efforts to join the EU and vetoed the country's EU integration bid, demanding its acceptance that the language of North Macedonia is derived from Bulgarian and urging the country to recognize the Bulgarian minority there.
However, on June 24 Bulgaria decided to lift its two-year veto on North Macedonia's EU membership bid, making it possible for the country to start EU accession talks.
The approval of the conclusions on the French proposal, which was presented by France's President Emmanuel Macron, enables the launch of the EU membership accession negotiations, not only for Skopje but also for Tirana.
North Macedonia and neighboring Albania have been waiting since March 2020 to hold their first intergovernmental meetings with the EU. ■
North Macedonia's Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski holds a press conference after voting on French proposal at the parliament in Skopje, North Macedonia, July 16, 2022. North Macedonia's parliament on Saturday voted to approve the conclusions on French proposal presented by the ruling majority on the negotiating framework for opening the European Union (EU) accession talks. (Photo by Tomislav Georgiev/Xinhua)
North Macedonia's lawmakers display flags of North Macedonia and EU after voting on French proposal in the Parliament in Skopje, North Macedonia, July 16, 2022. North Macedonia's parliament on Saturday voted to approve the conclusions on French proposal presented by the ruling majority on the negotiating framework for opening the European Union (EU) accession talks. (Photo by Tomislav Georgiev/Xinhua)