Односи Северне Македоније и Бугарске у светлу процеса европских интеграција
Relations betwen North Macedonia and Bulgaria in the light of the european integration process

Summary/Abstract: Relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia have not been an example of good neighbourly relations since North Macedonia gained its independence until today. The reasons for such a state of affairs are deeply rooted in different interpretations of historical facts. With an inconsistent attitude towards minorities, the negative development of mutual relations has deepened even more. From the perspective of the development of neighborhood policy, this circumstance can be one of the important obstacles on the path of North Macedonia's accession to the European Union. In this sense, the subject analysis of the political relations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria includes a discussion of the conditions that Sofia sets for Skopje on the way to full membership in the European Union. Through a case study, the author tries to answer the question of whether the European integration of the countries of the Western Balkans is conditioned by open political issues and challenges between neighbouring countries or whether the European perspective of this region is determined by current challenges and circumstances within the framework of the European Union. North Macedonia's relations with neighbouring Bulgaria are a good example in this sense, bearing in mind the rhetoric of the official Sofia, which uses the resolution of open political issues with Skopje to condition the perspective of North Macedonia.

• Details
• Contents