Macedonia still has a chance to hold the first EU intergovernmental conference this year, during Germany’s EU Presidency, said Chancellor Angela Merkel at Monday’s video-conference with Members of the European Parliament, Deutsche Welle in Macedonian language reports.

However, the chancellor said they were facing difficulties in holding the intergovernmental conference and that there was still a need for negotiations between Bulgaria and Macedonia.

We are facing difficulties in holding the intergovernmental conference with Macedonia, Merkel said.

Albania, as she said, has made great progress, and she hopes Bulgaria and Macedonia will find a way out of the dispute.

Merkel said she hopes Macedonia would start negotiations this year, while Albania would have to wait.

In the case of Albania, the issue is a little different. Despite the progress, I can’t promise it will happen this year, but very soon, she said, Deutsche Welle reports.