Today, the European Union decided to officially launch membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated at the occasion:
“Today, Albania and North Macedonia open accession negotiations with the EU. This historic moment is your success”.
“You have shown so much enduring commitment to our values, you’ve demonstrated resilience, you strengthened the rule of law, you fought against corruption, you have free media, you’ve done countless reforms. (…) The people of Albania and North Macedonia deserve it, and we will all stand to gain when one day we welcome Albania and North Macedonia as full-fledged members of the European Union.”
🇦🇱🇲🇰 Today, Albania and North Macedonia open accession negotiations with the EU.
This historic moment is your success. The result of your hard work.
The @EU_Commission has supported you all the way. We will continue to do so.
https://t.co/pwPF51Bs17— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 19, 2022
Since 2014, Albania has already been granted the status of candidate member state, a status which was granted to North Macedonia since 2005.
Among the Western Balkans, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are the only other countries that are not yet a member of the European Union. Commenting on Kosovo, German MEP Lars Patrick Berg (ECR) has stated: “EU Visa liberalisation is of great importance to people of Kosovo.”
#Europäisches_Parlament Straßburg 🇪🇺Heute wird der Kosovo-Bericht behandelt. EU #Visaliberalsierung ist für die Menschen im #Kosovo 🇽🇰von großer Bedeutung. pic.twitter.com/W5QIczWvMU
— Lars Patrick Berg MdEP (@L_P_Berg) July 5, 2022
Berg recently also discussed the Kosovo report in the European Parliament:
“My concern is that we are failing to stand by our friends…Visa liberalisation has to be taken forward. Of course we need to make sure that they make progress on the rule of law and all the other standards but let’s support them in doing this.”
Sitting of 05-07-2022 | Plenary | European Parliament – My speech on the #Kosovo 🇪🇺🇽🇰report. https://t.co/Ji9nrNVezU
— Lars Patrick Berg MdEP (@L_P_Berg) July 14, 2022
Picture: Pristina, Kosovo (Pixabay)