SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria refused on Tuesday to approve the European Union’s membership negotiation framework for North Macedonia, effectively blocking the official start of accession talks with its smaller Balkan neighbour.Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said Sofia could not back for now the start of long-delayed accession negotiations between the 27-member EU and Skopje due to open disputes over history and language, but remained open for talks. “Bulgaria, at this stage, cannot back the draft of the negotiation framework with the Republic of North Macedonia and the holding of the first intergovernmental conference,” she said after EU ministers discussed the subject in an online meeting. The official launch of the accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania was expected to take place at an intergovernmental conference in December. Zaharieva said Bulgaria backed the negotiation framework for Albania. Following a video meeting of Europe ministers, Germany’s Michael Roth, whose country holds the EU presidency, said it was up to Bulgaria and North Macedonia to resolve their dispute before EU leaders could allow the accession talks to start.