The European Commission welcomes this “long-awaited” process that opens the door to strengthening its commitment to the Balkans
The European Union (EU) started formal negotiations on Tuesday on the accession of Albania and North Macedonia to the community bloc. The process is getting underway after years of blockade, thanks to the reforms the two countries have implemented and the recent granting of candidate country status to Ukraine. This move, though “historic” – as celebrated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – is another step on the long road of reforms and commitments that the two states must implement before entering the EU.
“You have worked so hard to get here, shown your commitment to our values and kept faith in the accession process,” von der Leyen said during a joint appearance in Brussels with the prime ministers of Albania, Edi Rama and Macedonia. from the north, Dimitar Kovacevski. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, also welcomed the start of this “long-awaited” process, which opens the door for the EU to “increase its commitment to the Balkans”.
The two countries have “completed part of the way to the EU” including improvements in the fight against corruption, strengthening the rule of law and modernizing the economy. Albania has had to wait eight years to start formal negotiations with Brussels. However, his prime minister emphasized the determination of the Albanian people, who “never gave up the dream of walking the road to the EU”, even in the most difficult moments of the pandemic. The first step on this new path was the two intergovernmental conferences held this Tuesday to set the negotiating framework for this process.
In the case of North Macedonia, the meeting was purely political, as the Parliament had not transposed the agreement with the EU into the Macedonian constitution. Kovacevski will not have an easy time, as he will need a two-thirds majority in the House to complete this step needed to open negotiations.
The country has been waiting to join the EU since 2008, first because of the Greek veto, which asked to change the country’s name, and then because of the blockade of Bulgaria, because of a dispute over the origin of its language and the treatment of the Bulgarian minority. However, the Macedonian leader has indicated that the start of formal contacts with the European Commission represents “a new beginning for the region”.
The European executive “will continue to closely accompany the two states” in their rapprochement with the EU in key areas. For example, Albania is expected to join the European mechanism that assists member states in the event of disasters and that negotiations on North Macedonia to reach an agreement with Frontex are expected to “start shortly”.
Source: La Verdad
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