In order to be sustainable and irreversible, the EU enlargement process should be based on the real fulfilment of the Copenhagen membership criteria. Even as new geopolitical dynamics highlight the importance of EU enlargement, the principle of preserving own merits should remain a guiding principle in the assessment of candidate countries. This was the position that Head of State Rumen Radev expressed at a meeting in Sofia with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. 

 

During the talks, the two discussed a number of topics regarding European integration and related reforms. In this regard, Radev expressed hope that the Republic of North Macedonia would as soon as possible proceed with the implementation of the European consensus of 2022, which would also open the way for the country to start EU membership negotiations.