World

Russia invites Albania, North Macedonia to join the Eurasian Union

The invitation to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) has been addressed to Albania and North Macedonia by Russia’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, during the Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona, Italy on Friday. Albania and North Macedonia will find understanding sooner within the EEU than in the EU, the Russian diplomat noted. …

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Nikos Kotzias undertakes international initiative for the Balkans

Former Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias is undertaking an international initiative on the situation in the Western Balkans, following a decision by the last European Council meeting to postpone setting a date for the start of EU accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. The former Foreign Minister had meetings with the Slovak Foreign Minister …

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Kotzias: Greece should take initiative to organize meetings for stability in the Balkans

Greece should take initiative to organize meetings and coordinate with countries sharing the same position on stability in the Balkans regarding North Macedonia’s European perspective, former Greek foreign minister Nikos Kotzias told a conference on progressive foreign policy organized by ENA Institute for Alternative Policies. Participants in the conference discussed aspects of Greek foreign policy, …

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Thimonier: The Prespa Agreement isn’t the sole precondition for starting accession talks

French Ambassador Christian Thimonier said that he has informed French top officials of North Macedonia’s disappointment following the EU Council meeting in Brussels. Thimonier added that geopolitics surpassed realistic expectations, giving the public “the impression that the Prespa Agreement is the sole precondition for starting accession talks.” The French ambassador said the Bundestag wasn’t ready …

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Hahn: The consequences for both countries and the region could be catastrophic

EU Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn again sharply criticized France’s negative position and the refusal of the EU leaders to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, saying the consequences for both countries and the region could be catastrophic. Hahn in the interview with APA news agency said that negative decision of EU leaders …

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Kotzias: The government is undermining the Prespa Agreement

Athens – The government is undermining the Prespa Agreement, and then refers to the negative results of its own undermining as an excuse, former Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias posted on Twitter over the latest developments after the EU Summit in Brussels. “After Macron’s veto, the conclusion of the government’s practices in relation to the …

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Zaharieva: Decision not to open negotiations with North Macedonia is a rude historical mistake

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Bulgaria, Ekaterina Zaharieva, said that the European Union’s decision not to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia is a rude historical mistake. “Bulgaria said a big “Yes” on opening accession negotiations,” Zaharieva said, adding that North Macedonia deserves to start membership negotiations with the EU. The Bulgarian Deputy …

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Mogherini: Postponing negotiations with Skopje and Tirana is more than a lost opportunity, it’s a historic mistake

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that the postponing the decision to open negotiations for North Macedonia’s and Albania’s accession to the European Union, it is much more than a lost opportunity: it is a historic mistake. In her blog ‘Two important decisions, one historic mistake’, Mogherini said that the heads of State …

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Europe is playing with fire

EU leaders will review the prospect of EU’s enlargement before the European Union-Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb in May 2020, in line with the conclusions adopted during the EU Summit in Brussels. Once again, the European Union and its leaders failed to rise to the occasion. With the Summit’s decision to postpone one more time …

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Kyriakos Mitsotakis in favor of North Macedonia’s accession prospects

Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, for the first time, refers to North Macedonia by its constitutional name in an interview on the Politico website, as part of his presence in Brussels for the Summit, and what’s more stands in favor of its accession prospects. Responding to Politico’s questions, he says: “We have always said that …

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Borissov: EU will make a historic mistake if it doesn’t open negotiations with N.Macedonia and Albania

North Macedonia and Albania should get a date for accession negotiations. It would be a historic mistake if we did not let them launch the talks and a tough blow for the people of the two countries that deserve to be given a European perspective, said Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov ahead of the European …

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Zaharieva; Postponing EU talks with North Macedonia, Albania, would be a mistake

Bulgaria believes that postponing the start of European Union membership talks with the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania would be a real mistake and would destabilise the region, Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said. Zaharieva was speaking in an interview with Bulgarian National Television on the eve of the October 17 and 18 meeting of …

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EU ministers fail to reach decision on opening accession talks with N. Macedonia and Albania

EU ministers failed to reach a decision approving the opening of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, Finnish EU Affairs Minister Tytti Tuppurainen told a news conference Tuesday in Luxembourg after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Outgoing EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that it was not a moment of glory for Europe, …

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France ‘torpedoes’ EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia, Albania

France insists the EU should not, at this stage, greenlight the start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, a French diplomatic source said, speaking to the state-run North Macedonian News Agency MIA. The decision on whether or not to start accession negotiations with these two countries is expected to be taken during the …

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Merkel’s last chance to convince Macron not to block N.Macedonia and Albania

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the President of France Emmanuel Macron are set to meet on Sunday, which diplomats see as the last chance to convince Paris to change its position on blocking the start of EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. “We hope Paris will reconsider its position and not allow being …

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Bulgaria’s Parliament approves declaration on conditional support for EU accession talks with N Macedonia, Albania

Bulgaria’s National Assembly voted on October 10 to approve a framework declaration put forward by the government on the EU accession of the Republic of North Macedonia and of Albania. The declaration had not been on the agenda of the October 10 sitting but was added at the proposal of MP Emil Hristov. It was …

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Zaev, Rama and Vucic to hold a trilateral meeting in Novi Sad

North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic are set to hold a trilateral meeting in Novi Sad on Thursday. Vucic’s Office has said the meeting will focus on networking regional markets and removing business barriers, resulting in free flow of people, goods and services. Zaev arrived …

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Varvitsiotis: EU talks with only one candidate could pave the way for destabilization on our border

Greece’s Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis warned against the opening of EU negotiations with only one candidate country. “Due to the presence of an Albanian element in the region, decoupling and opening of accession talks with only one candidate country could pave the way for destabilization on our northern border,” Varvitsiotis said Wednesday …

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