EU Accession Talks Begin for Albania, Following Separation from North Macedonia

Albania has officially commenced its EU accession negotiations today, starting with the first cluster of talks. An Intergovernmental Conference between the EU and Albania will take place in Luxembourg, marking the initiation of this significant phase in the negotiation process. This development comes after Albania was separated from North Macedonia in the negotiation timeline at the end of September.

Albania and North Macedonia began their negotiations together on July 19, 2022, in Brussels. However, the actual start of the process was postponed due to a dispute between North Macedonia and Bulgaria regarding the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia's constitution, a requirement outlined in the Skopje negotiating framework.

A spokesperson for the European Commission indicated that they are keen for enlargement negotiations with both Albania and North Macedonia to begin as soon as possible, contingent on the fulfillment of the requirements established by the EU Council. The spokesperson emphasized that for North Macedonia, constitutional amendments are necessary to advance the process.