Brussels, 17/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which has been a candidate country for EU membership since December 2005, is finally expected to be able to begin EU membership talks, say members of the EP foreign affairs committee (AFET) in a report by Zoran Thaler (S&D, Slovenia), adopted on Wednesday 16 March. The decision to begin talks is still blocked by the Greek veto due to the dispute over the use of the name “Macedonia”. In its report, the foreign affairs committee congratulates the government for the effective and flexible implementation of the stabilisation and association agreement with the EU and “regrets that the Council has not taken a decision on the opening of accession negotiations as recommended by the Commission for a second year in a row”. MEPs state their concern at the growing inter-ethnic tension in the country, as well as at the deep issues of “political culture”. They call on the opposition political parties to put an end to the parliamentary boycott and to resume dialogue within the institutions. AFET is also concerned at the persistent widespread corruption and the deterioration in media freedom. (H.B./transl.jl)