Germany is deeply sorry that official Skopje did not start EU accession talks during their presidency with the EU, and they hope this will be achieved this year before the conclusion of the EU summit this June under the auspices of the Portuguese presidency with EU, according to German Ambassador in Skopje, Anke Holstein. “A decision cannot be reached without agreement by all 27 EU member-states. Unfortunately, at the moment the other 26 member-states are being held as hostages by minor national interest of another country which with this does damage to the credibility of the EU in the Western Balkans. North Macedonia has been waiting for this for 15 years now, they have fulfilled all conditions, even the tougher ones, like the compromise over the name of the country. Still, because of the national interest of once country, the EU set another condition for start of the accession talks with Skopje, focusing on the mutual history of the region in the past century,” Ambassador Holstein concluded.