The European Commission’s report on North Macedonia is the most positive so far and says that everyone, without exception, agrees that the country should start accession negotiations, said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in Brussels, adding that his government made significant efforts and took great political risk in the process of the adoption of the Prespa Agreement, which required a two-thirds majority. Hence, the risk of MPs, who were promised that the vote for the Prespa Agreement and constitutional changes would mean opening the EU doors, losing confidence in the government.

The scenarios for the upcoming EU ministerial meetings, Zaev said, are the opening of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania at best, not opening negotiations with none of these countries, which is the worst option, or opening negotiations with Macedonia and postponing the decision on Albania for later. The prime minister stressed that the Netherlands and France are more reserved to opening negotiations with Albania, but also that the Germans fear Albanian threats that this would lead to instability in the region, especially in Kosovo.

They think that if they open negotiations with North Macedonia, a problem will be created if Albania is left and that it could have an impact on Kosovo, they fear threats from my friend Edi Rama for possible border changes or unification with Kosovo, but I do not believe in those things because it will mean a setback of at least ten years for Albania if they do such a thing, nobody wants to do such a thing, the Macedonian prime minister told reporters.