Varvitsiotis: North Macedonia, Albania Cannot be Separated in EU Integrations

Official Athens does not support the idea for separation of the EU integration processes of Macedonia and Albania. This was confirmed by the Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis during a session in the Greek Parliament on Wednesday. “Due to the presence of an Albanian element in the region, decoupling and opening of accession talks with only one candidate country could pave the way for destabilization on our northern border. Greece believes that it is a strong tool in achieving peace, stability and prosperity for the wider region,” Varvitsiotis. This was followed by a reaction by SYRIZA MP Sia Anagnostopoulou. “Greece indeed supports the enlargement of the EU with West Balkan countries, but I think we should support the German positions when it comes to this decision. IF Albania is not approved start of membership talks, then why should North Macedonia suffer the same consequences? Keeping both countries outside EU will only result in growth of nationalism and instability in the region,” Anagnostopoulou told Varvitsiotis.