France and Germany have begun and will continue to talk, and according to my information, the governments of Germany and France will have a joint meeting, probably on Wednesday, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said, commenting on the environment ahead of the Council of Europe summit.

I remain strongly convinced that we will get a date for negotiations, Zaev said before the start of tonight’s 159 government session held in Bitola.

Tomorrow the Ministerial Council begins where we will know the first indications, and the Council of Europe will convene on October 17 and 18. I remain strongly convinced that we will get a date, that is, a decision to start negotiations, which will definitely also those aspirations of France to incorporate a new methodology that will give a fair chance to all countries that are negotiating or will negotiate as we are, to have opportunities and if they have good performances to go forward, and if some of their performances go backwards, then to come back. That is the discussion that is being led. There is no country that in the last 20 years has deserved more than the Republic of North Macedonia to get this decision to start negotiations, said Zoran Zaev in Bitola.