President's Office: Pellegrini Confirmed Slovakia's Stance on EU Enlargement

Bratislava, 17 October (TASR) – Slovak President Peter Pellegrini didn't make comments about any European Union (EU) member state during his official visit to North Macedonia, and in his remarks he reaffirmed Slovakia's long-standing and consistent position supporting the European prospects of Western Balkan countries and their efforts to join the EU, the President's Office told TASR on Friday. The President’s Office issued this statement in response to Bulgaria's decision to summon the Slovak ambassador in Sofia over Pellegrini's comments during his visit to North Macedonia. "Bilateral issues should be resolved through direct dialogue between the concerned partners, in the spirit of good neighbourly relations, respect for sovereignty, and fulfilment of existing commitments," the office stated. Pellegrini in North Macedonia highlighted the risks to the EU's credibility and security if the enlargement process continues to be delayed or made conditional on new demands, said his office. "The Slovak Republic is convinced that the accession process must be based on equal rules and criteria for all candidate countries, especially in terms of meeting the Copenhagen criteria," the statement added. Bulgaria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry summoned the Slovak ambassador over Pellegrini’s comments on North Macedonia's EU-accession process, which it described as unacceptable. "We are deeply disappointed that a partner country chose to encourage the counterproductive rhetoric of the government of the Republic of North Macedonia, which continues to seek external blame for its insufficient progress in the European integration process," said Jordan Parvanov, Director-General for European Affairs at the Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Ministry. mf/df