The General Affairs Council (GAC) is meeting today in Luxemburg to discuss among other things EU enlargement.

Shortly before the meeting, the Portuguese foreign minister Ana Paula Zacarias said that one of the topics to be discussed will be where are Albania and North Macedonia standing.

German Minister of State for Europe, Michael Roth, urged the quick launch of the integration talks with the two Western Balkan states in order to avoid “leaving a strategic vacuum”.

Please. Let bilateral issues be handled bilaterally, without blocking the entire 🇪🇺 moving forward. Let’s think strategically and realise: need to fulfill our obligations towards #Albania🇦🇱& #NorthMacedonia 🇲🇰 NOW + have no interest in leaving strategic vacuum there. Thank you.

— Michael Roth MdB 🇪🇺 (@MiRo_SPD) June 22, 2021

As per the Council’s agenda, the EU foreign ministers will exchange ideas on enlargement and the stabilization and association process ahead of the intergovernmental conferences with Serbia and Montenegro, all set to take place in one day.

Today’s meeting follows up on the previous one held on June 24-25.

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