At the end of today’s EU General Affairs Ministerial Meeting of the EU member states held today in Luxembourg, Zacarias, whose country holds the rotating EU Presidency, said that, “this morning Ministers exchanged views on enlargement and the stabilisation and association process. It was a lively debate. They took note of recent developments, emphasizing the strategic importance and geopolitical reality of the EU enlargement process, which represents an investment in peace, democracy, prosperity, security and stability in Europe.”

“Despite all efforts, it was not possible to agree on negotiating frameworks for North Macedonia and Albania and on holding the First Intergovernmental Conference with these two candidate countries,” Zacarias added.

Albania has remained hostage to the Bulgaria veto on North Macedonia even though it had met all the conditions for holding the First Intergovernmental Conference with the EU. Albania has been supported by the Netherlands, which in recent years has blocked the Albania’s EU integration process

Earlier, The German Minister of State for Europe at the Federal Foreign Office, Michael Roth, called on EU member states to state strategically an opinion and understand that they must meet their obligations towards Albania and North Macedonia. //a.i/