Byrnes: Bulgarian Veto Brings Risk to Both Macedonia and EU

We are disappointed with Bulgaria’s veto for a number of reasons, first because we believe that Macedonia was ready to start the process of opening and closing chapters with the EU,” said US Ambassador to the country Kate Marie Byrnes. In an interview with VOA, she said the veto posed a risk not only to Macedonia but also to the EU, as well as to issues related to the enlargement process as a whole. She also expressed support for the adoption of the Census Law at Parliament. “First of all, I am very happy that the Law on Census was passed at Parliament. Moreover, it passed with the support of two opposition partners, and the government coalition. This is an important step. Macedonia has not had a census for almost 20 years, and this has affected the policy-making process, as accurate population data is an important part of planning for the future. We expect the government to ensure that the census is conducted by professionals, which will provide information that will help the country in the future,” she adds.