The EU Foreign Ministers have agreed to open conditioned accession talks for Albania, but the country will have to wait one year for the first meeting, on June 2019, if the reforms continue.
French, Netherlands and Denmark expressed reserves about these two countries during a meeting in Luxembourg.
The news was also confirmed by the Bulgarian Presidency on Twitter, which underlines that both countries, besides deepening the success with the reforms, must mark progress with key priorities, such as the fight against organized crime and corruption.
Despite this postponement, the Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, valued the decision of the Foreign Ministers as key signal to the region that progress is rewarded, and crucial for the EU’s own credibility.
The EU Foreign Ministers decided to give the green light next year, not now, as Greece hoped, especially after the agreement with Skopje.
The Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias, tried to calm his colleagues about Albania and Macedonia, insisting that the geopolitical and geostrategic situation in the region requires support and no postponement.
The European diplomats confirmed that Albania has still much to do with the key reforms before opening the accession negotiations.
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