Dutch FM Says Skopje Deserves EU Accession Talks, Tirana Doesn’t’
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok has told lawmakers in The Hague that he would demand the separation of EU accession talks of North Macedonia and Albania.
Speaking a few days before the foreign ministers of the Union meet on October 13 in Luxembourg, Blok said only North Macedonia had met the conditions to open the negotiations in December this year.
“We welcome the difference made between the negotiating frameworks for North Macedonia and Albania.This is in line with the government’s intention to separate their destiny for the negotiations because after all they must be based on the individual merits of both countries. That is why it is important to develop two independent negotiation processes,” said Blok.
Further on the Dutch FM said the holding of the first Intergovernmental Conference with Albania depended on concrete actions in the fight against organized crime and corruption.
In addition he said they had been informed of disagreements over the new Electoral Reform as well as obstacles to the functioning of the Constitutional Court.
According to the Dutch deputies, another obstacle for Albania is the change of the media law as the recommendations of the Venice Commission are not taken into account.
The Dutch authorities are also concerned over the increase in the number of illegal immigrants being detained by the police in their country. /argumentum.al
