Negotiating Framework to be Presented in June, Says Varhelyi

In front of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi confirmed that the negotiating frameworks for Skopje and Tirana would come in June. On the other hand, the reports on the reform progress of Western Balkan countries will be postponed for September. The Commissioner added that the European Commission’s focus was primarily on Skopje and Tirana. According to him, there is work to deal with the coronavirus day and night, and considering that it’s hard to predict what the economic situation will be, it’s also hard to see how reforms will be delivered because COVID-19 is causing a halt. As Varheliy added, the goal is a substantial, good report. “My focus is now more on the negotiating frameworks for the two countries,” the Commissioner pointed out. The frameworks, he added, will be accompanied by a reform progress assessment.