Albanian authorities have apparently given up the ambition to have the accession intergovernmental negotiations with EU started this year as a senior Socialist Party (SP) hoped they will open in the spring in 2021.
The chairwoman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy, Mimi Kodheli, a SP MP, stated that Albania is expected to open negotiations with the European Union in early spring.
During a TV interview, Kodheli said that Albania has a friendly and neighboring country, such as North Macedonia, along
the journey to open these negotiations.
Both countries hoped strongly to kick off the first round this year during the EU Presidency of Germany but some countries like the Netherlands and France were not satisfied with Albania’s fulfilling of the 15 EU set conditions. Also Bulgaria said it would veto the start of such a process with North Macedonia because of historical disputes.
“We have started this journey and we, Albania and North Macedonia, are already in this European package, and I believe that we will continue it, because such is the European strategy regarding the Western Balkans,” said Kodheli quoted by Atsh.
“We need to find the perfect balance so that both countries are absolutely ready and supported by other countries. This will happen and I believe it will happen in the early spring of next year, “she said, adding that there is a problem because Bulgaria has vetoed the opening of negotiations with North Macedonia and this is not in the best interest of both countries and this process.
“I strongly hope that countries that have undertaken to resolve this issue can positively influence in order to resolve this impasse, and I strongly believe this,” said Kodheli, a former Defense Minister./argumentum.al
