Kneissl: Negotiations with Macedonia and Albania not a gift, but logic

Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl said Monday regarding the opening negotiations for Macedonia and Albania that both countries have fulfilled their tasks and EU’s credibility is at stake.

“I had breakfast with the Albanian foreign minister. I cannot speak for all 27 countries, but it is not a gift for these countries, this is an issue of logic. We gave Albania and North Macedonia, which is the country’s new name, tasks they had to fulfill. In the case of North Macedonia we said the name problem needs to be solved, the same goes with Albania and its judiciary reforms. Our credibility is at stake. The European Commission and Federica Mogherini have Austria’s support in this regard,” said FM Kneissl.

Austria takes over the six-month EU Presidency on July 1.