On Monday 18 July, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, announced that the first intergovernmental conference on North Macedonia would take place on Tuesday 19 July. Albania’s is also scheduled for Tuesday.
“Tomorrow, the Intergovernmental Conference will launch the negotiation process - a process that is long overdue”, Borrell announced as he arrived at the Foreign Affairs Council. This conference is intended to launch the acquis review process. The opening of accession negotiation chapters will have to await the amendment of the Macedonian Constitution, which requires a 2/3 majority in Parliament.
In parallel to Borrell’s announcement, a written procedure had been opened for the adoption by the EU27 of the negotiating frameworks for North Macedonia and Albania.
The launch of accession negotiations with North Macedonia, and by extension those with Albania, is possible thanks to the Macedonian Parliament's vote on Saturday in favour of the compromise proposed by France to settle the dispute between Skopje and Sofia by 68 votes out of 120. The opposition did not take part in the vote and left the Chamber.
On Sunday 17 July, the Macedonian and Bulgarian Foreign Ministers signed a bilateral protocol to resolve their differences.
The Macedonian Parliament’s vote in favour of the compromise, strongly desired by the EU, which had not failed to make it known (see EUROPE 12993/12, 12986/22), was welcomed by the Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament, several Heads of State or Government, the High Representative and the Commissioner for Enlargement. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)