Slovakia supports EU accession negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia

The starting of the European Union's accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia marks a "holiday" for both Western Balkan countries, and good news for Slovakia and the EU as such. This according to the State Secretary of the Slovak foreign ministry Ingrid Brocková, who was speaking at the end of an intergovernmental conference where EU foreign ministers met with the prime ministers of both candidate countries. Brocková pointed out that the next steps are in the hands of the European Commission, which will begin a two-phase process of the "screening" of both countries. In the first phase the Commission will explain to both countries what the accession process involves. Subsequently, bilateral communication with the two countries will be launched, after which the Commission will prepare a report for the European Council, which will decide on the further continuation of the process.