EU Official Wants Balkan States Accession Talks in 'Weeks'

The EU's enlargement commissioner said Thursday he hoped the bloc would open accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia within weeks.

"I hope very much in the coming weeks to start negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania," said Oliver Varhelyi, the commissioner in charge of enlargement negotiations.

He praised both countries for the "serious progress" they have made since their bid to open talks was rejected at an EU summit last October by a small group of countries led by France.

"These two countries have chosen to accelerate reforms instead of suspending them after the very negative message of October," Varhelyi told reporters in Prague after a meeting of central European foreign ministers and their Balkan counterparts.

The EU will issue a progress report on the Balkan countries next week.

"With this report I do hope to convince the member states that they are ready and we should also be ready to open the negotiations," Varhelyi said.

"If they deliver, then we have to deliver."

He said he expected to discuss the issue at the next European Council meeting, which is scheduled for March.