(Bloomberg) -- Police arrested 11 people and 47 officers were injured during protests in North Macedonia against a deal with neighboring Bulgaria that seeks to unlock European Union accession talks.

Thousands rallied late Tuesday in Skopje, the capital, against the agreement which, according to the nationalist opposition, does not guarantee the recognition of the country’s language and national identity. 

North Macedonia Pushes to Advance Bulgarian EU Accession Deal

Protesters threw rocks, eggs, Molotov cocktails and traffic signs against public buildings and broke several windows, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. 

North Macedonia’s EU accession progress has been blocked by neighboring Bulgaria over a dispute involving history and language. The EU has offered a negotiation framework designed to end the spat that Bulgaria backed in June. 

If North Macedonia’s parliament approves the agreement, it may start accession talks within days, EU Council President Charles Michel said during a visit in Skopje on Tuesday.

 

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