The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, declared that the European Union must fulfill the obligations it has towards Western Balkan countries and keep working with the enlargement process.
“The next months are decisive in this aspect”, Leyen said in a plenary session of the European Parliament.
“It is important to preserve the momentum in the Western Balkans before the Zagreb summit.
“If we want this summit to be successful, we must fulfill our duties right now”, the President said.
The EU must start negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia, according to the EC President, since these two countries have done their part and it is now up to the EU to keep its promise.
Last October, the European Union refused to open negotiations with the two countries, despite the fact that the European Commission had recommended that the criteria were met.
The decision was blocked by France, which demanded more reforms from the two countries but also from the EU.
As a result, by the end of January, the European Commission will come up with a new methodology for the accession negotiations, which must receive the support of the member countries.
Now that the European Union is led by Croatia, the summit between the EU and the Western Balkan countries will be held in Zagreb, this May.
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