January, 29 (BTA) - Prime Minister Kiril Petkov commented that ''allowing the Republic of North Macedonia on the road to Europe does not mean accepting it to Europe''. There are 15 years from the first point to the second point, in these 15 years there are 27 chapters to be opened, he commented on Darik Radio.

Petkov explained that if the two countries manage to create a process to determine historical truth and eradicate discrimination and hate speech and this process has a clear mechanism to not allow for these elements, then ''we suddenly have a period of 15 years in which we can work together''. The Prime Minister argued that an approach that expects everything to be resolved before North Macedonia is allowed accession, is wrong.

Petkov stressed that the Balkans are a region with 65 million people, the market the size of France, and it is time to begin thinking as a region. He commented that this does not mean ignoring the region's problems, but solving them in a more constructive environment.

Regarding NATO-Russia tensions, the Prime Minister reiterated that Bulgaria, as a sovereign state, could not be forced to do anything. ''We cannot be a second category ally,'' he said. Regarding the formation of a Bulgarian battalion, Petkov commented: ''When we determine that a battalion is Bulgarian, we give a chance to the Bulgarian Army to say: "We can do it too". ''First, we find out what the deficits are, second, for these deficits, we are ready to accept their replenishment by allied troops,'' he added.

The Prime Minister Kiril Petkov received the Politician of the Year award for 2021 during the first edition of Darik's Annual Ideas Forum. DT//

Source: Sofia