The European Parliament has approved the 2019-2020 progress report for Western Balkans countries.

The resolution for Albania was approved with 581 votes in favor out of 678 participant MEPs. The resolution on North Macedonia received 558 votes in favor.

Albania and North Macedonia are expecting their first Intergovernmental Conference in order to launch EU membership talks.

As for Albania, there have been several times when countries have expressed skepticism over the conditions that have been fulfilled, meanwhile Bulgaria vetoed North Macedonia.

The EP rapporteur for Albania, Isabel Santos, said during her word that “Albania needs hope and the country has made progress”, and emphasized that the April 25 elections will be a historic moment for the empowerment of democracy and bring polarization to an end.

Serbia’s resolution received fewer votes, with 538 MEPs in favor. Belgrade has already started membership talks, while the main condition remains dialogue with Kosovo.

Kosovo received the least number of votes, namely 471, while remaining the only country in the Western Balkans that still has a visa regime in place.

The EP rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, called on EU member states to liberalize visas and stressed that “in case they do not fulfill their promises, they will lose credibility”.