EU does not give “green light” for accession process of Northern Macedonia and Albania

The EU General Affairs Council, meeting in Luxembourg today, failed to give the green light to start the accession process for the two countries.

According to the Minister of European Affairs of Portugal and chair of the Council, Ana Paola Zakaria, “it was not possible to agree on the negotiating framework for Northern Macedonia and Albania and to start the first intergovernmental conference for the two candidate countries.”

She added that the Portuguese Presidency of the EU tried to find a solution, but “Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia are living in a difficult political moment,” she said.