Bulgaria rejects 'ultimatums' over EU talks with North Macedonia

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said his country will not respond to any "ultimatums" to support EU accession talks between North Macedonia and Brussels.
Bulgaria vetoed the start of membership talks with North Macedonia at the end of 2020, saying the country was not implementing a bilateral treaty signed in 2017.
"It is extremely inappropriate and not beneficial to give Bulgaria ultimatums," Radev told journalists in Sofia on Monday, commenting on a statement from North Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani.
According to Bulgarian media, Osmani reportedly said that by June, therefore by the end of the French EU presidency, there was a possibility of developing ties between Bulgaria and North Macedonia.
Radev insisted that the preconditions to start accession talks should be respected. The veto also affected the start of EU talks with Albania, which are also blocked.
He spoke of "external pressure" on Bulgaria and accused North Macedonia of "violation of human rights (of ethnic Bulgarians), violation of the Copenhagen criteria and hate speech." This, he said, was incompatible with European principles and values.
According to the Copenhagen criteria, states must fulfil certain conditions if they want to join the European Union, such as having the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights.
Critics of Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, as well as nationalists, accuse Petkov of wanting to lift Bulgaria's veto due to "external pressure" by the middle of the year.
Radav and Petkov have sparred over range of issues, most recently on whether to send arms to Ukraine. Radev, who is considered pro-Russia, is opposed while Petkov is in support.