North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic are set to hold a trilateral meeting in Novi Sad on Thursday. Vucic’s Office has said the meeting will focus on networking regional markets and removing business barriers, resulting in free flow of people, goods and services. Zaev arrived […]
Greece’s Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis warned against the opening of EU negotiations with only one candidate country. “Due to the presence of an Albanian element in the region, decoupling and opening of accession talks with only one candidate country could pave the way for destabilization on our northern border,” Varvitsiotis said Wednesday […]
The Committee on European Affairs of the Dutch Parliament agreed Tuesday that Albania and North Macedonia’s European prospects should be discussed separately at the meeting of the Council of Ministers in Luxembourg October 15, before the European Council makes a final decision October 18. Foreign Minister Stef Blok reiterated the government’s attitude that starting negotiations […]
All top state officials, including myself, the prime minister and the foreign minister, have always said that both countries need to start EU negotiations, President Stevo Pendarovski said Tuesday after it was reported that the Netherlands today will define its position on the matter. According to a Reuters report published this past weekend, Germany proposes […]
A trilateral meeting between Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Ministers of North Macedonia and Albania, Zoran Zaev and Edi Rama, is to be held on Thursday, October 10, in Novi Sad, Serbian President’s Office said in a press release. The meeting will be held at the Petrovaradin Fortress. Vucic announced earlier that he would […]
“North Macedonia and Albania have delivered – now it’s high time that member states deliver, too! Thank you to EU leaders for making this strong stance for opening accession negotiations with both countries in October,” tweeted EU-Commissioner for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn on Sunday. #NorthMacedonia and #Albania have delivered – now it’s […]
The Netherlands is less concerned about North Macedonia and more about Albania regarding the decision to deliver a date for the start of EU accession negotiations this fall, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. PM Rutte was asked about his country’s position on the issue, saying the Netherlands […]
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said that Skopje and Tirana should be assessed independently when it comes to opening EU accession talks. “I believe that North Macedonia and Albania should be assessed independently because they are different countries with different problems and different degrees of progress. I’ve also indicated earlier that I think the rate […]
Opening EU accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia would be the wisest decision by the EU, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said in his address at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. “Providing a positive response to Albania and North Macedonia’s ambition to open accession talks will not merely be a reward […]
German daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reports that North Macedonia will receive a “full green light” for the start of accession negotiations, while the Bundestag will give a “dark green” light to Albania. According to the newspaper, the decision of the Bundestag of North Macedonia will grant the start of negotiations without additional conditions, […]
It seems that Athens wants to make the cases of North Macedonia and Albania a package with respect to accession policies, Greece’s former foreign minister and now Syriza MP Georgios Katrougalos said in an interview with ANA-MPA’s radio station Praktoreio FM. “But in Albania we also have other issues, we need the protection of our […]
France is still undecided on the start of North Macedonia’s EU accession negotiations and finds the rule of law very important. The general approach to the Union’s enlargement with the Western Balkans will be the deciding factor, said French Ambassador Christian Thimonier. The ambassador said the “Racket” case should be viewed realistically, putting an end […]
Foreign Ministers of Greece, Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria have voiced full support for the start of EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania at a meeting held as part of the UN General Assembly in New York. The FMs of these four Balkan countries, members of the EU, have reviewed the European integration bids […]
Germany’s Bundestag will officially give the green light Thursday for the start of the EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, Deutsche Welle reports. Deputy PM for European Affairs Bujar Osmani will attend the session at the invitation of Bundestag President Wolfgang Schauble. Ruling parties CDU and SPD reached agreement yesterday to endorse the […]
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini met Sunday in New York with prime ministers and ministers from the six countries of the Western Balkans. The meeting at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly discussed the region’s European perspective and the progress achieved. Interlocutors expressed their support […]
North Macedonia and Albania deserve to open EU membership negotiations, outgoing EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said in an interview with the Montenegrin daily Vijesti. Hahn said North Macedonia has made significant progress, and the most important is the signing of the Prespa Agreement and the resolution of the dispute with Greece. “The Prespa Agreement […]
Prime Ministers of the Visegrad Group adopted a declaration for the Western Balkans during a summit with their Western Balkan counterparts in Prague on Thursday. The Declaration confirms the Visegrad Group unequivocal support for the accession of the Western Balkans in the European Union, saying the Union’s unification will not be complete until the region […]
European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, in an interview with Austrian daily Standard, says that it’s no secret that EU members view North Macedonia more favorably than Albania when it comes to opening accession talks. “We are still working on getting both states to negotiate,” Hahn told the paper. “But it is no […]
After serving three terms as mayor, Edmond Temelko was defeated in local elections in Pustec, Albania. The new mayor of Albanian municipality of Pustec, which is mainly populated by ethnic Macedonians is Pali Kolefski. In the controversial elections, Kolefski was the candidate of the Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Kolefski’s victory, a longtime […]
Polling stations have opened in Albania as voters elect their municipal representatives. These elections are held at a time when the opposition has boycotted them, while the president of the country has issued a decree revoking the elections and setting a new date for them. However, the government has insisted that these elections be held […]
