Kos: Bulgaria and North Macedonia will reach agreement to protect the Bulgarian minority

We know that Bulgaria and North Macedonia will reach an agreement to protect the Bulgarian minority, said EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos.

"Geopolitics has changed in recent years not only because of Ukraine, but also because of the United States. Today we need to act faster, disrupt thinking and accelerate the enlargement process," said Kos, who is visiting Bulgaria.

According to her, for the first time in the history of enlargement, the European Union is facing external forces that wish for its failure.

She stressed that enlargement is a priority and that it is the most important thing for the EU, pointing out the Western Balkan countries.

"The Western Balkans are in a different situation than Ukraine. So far, we have two favorites, Montenegro and Albania. These days we will open a new chapter with Albania. If we continue like this, we can complete negotiations with Montenegro in 2026 and with Albania in 2027. We would like to open negotiations with the Republic of North Macedonia as soon as possible. We know that an agreement will be reached between Bulgaria and North Macedonia on the protection of the rights of Bulgarians," Kos tells "BNT"./Telegrafi/