TIRANA (Albania), January 30 (SeeNews) – The European Commission said it will continue to push for the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia as part of its priorities for this year.
“In parallel, it will seek to keep up the momentum by putting forward ways to enhance the accession process, including on the enlargement methodology and on a reinforced investment framework,” the Commission said on Wednesday, after it adopted its 2020 work programme.
The EU's executive body will remain committed to upholding, updating and upgrading the rules-based order to make it fit for today's realities, it added.
In October, the European Parliament urged the EU member states to take a unanimous positive decision to open accession negotiations with Tirana and Skopje at the next meeting of the European Council. The Council has said it will revert to the issue before the EU-Western Balkans summit in Zagreb in May.
The European Council granted the status of candidate country for EU membership to Albania in 2014 and to North Macedonia in 2005.