News: EU: Accession negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia officially started

On 19 July 2022, during the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, the European Union officially opened accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has declared that the two countries have shown resistance to the common values and faith in those of access to the Union.

The initiative was made possible by the positive vote of the Macedonian Parliament on 16 July, on the updated proposal for French mediation, which, among other things, enshrines the constitutional recognition of a Bulgarian minority on Macedonian territory. Parliament’s green light made it possible to sign on 17 July the bilateral protocol between North Macedonia and Bulgaria, containing specific measures for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The next steps to be taken will be the approach of the two countries to some areas-key, such as Albania’s entry into the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to increase its resistance to natural disasters and the agreement between North Macedonia and Frontex to strengthen cooperation on migration.