On Wednesday 25 September, the ambassadors of the Member States to the European Union, meeting in Coreper in Brussels, took a unanimous decision to formalise the dissociation of Albania’s EU accession process from that of North Macedonia.
The accession process for the two countries has been coupled since the opening of negotiations in the summer of 2022. However, due to disputes between Skopje and Bulgaria, the actual opening of the chapters was delayed, directly interfering with the progress made by Tirana.
Albania is preparing to open its first negotiation cluster in mid-October.
On the same day, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, held an informal meeting with the leaders of the Western Balkans in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The meeting was an opportunity for the leaders to discuss security and stability issues and the need for the Balkan countries to align themselves strategically with the positions of the European Union.
The High Representative concluded by reaffirming the EU’s commitment to supporting the Western Balkans on the road to Europe, stressing that enlargement remains an absolute priority for the Union. (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)