Xhaferi: Date for Intergovernmental Conference Should Be Set Without Delay

In his address before European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) members on Monday, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi said a date to hold the first intergovernmental conference that would mark the formal start of negotiations with North Macedonia should be set without delay. According to him, each delay will have a serious impact on the political-economic situation in the country, in addition to affecting the other countries in the region that share same or similar open issues with their neighbours. MEPs who are rapporteurs on Western Balkan countries asked the EU to give a date to Tirana and Skopje, urging a solution during the Slovenian EU Presidency. MEP Andreas Schieder’s stand is that it’s very important for the European Parliament to adhere, together with parliaments from the region, to the agenda for the Western Balkans because that is a very important agenda for the EU. Slovenian MEP Klemen Groselj spoke on behalf of the permanent Rapporteur on North Macedonia, saying the European Parliament had always supported enlargement.