Albania is set to open its first negotiating cluster with the EU on 15 October, marking a key step in its accession process. Meanwhile, North Macedonia is not expected to advance, even though it began its accession talks at the same time as Albania in 2022, facing delays due to Bulgaria’s likely veto over unresolved identity issues linked to the 2022 French proposal. The Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper), consisting of the ambassadors of EU member states confirmed Albania’s fulfillment of benchmarks for Cluster 1, which focuses on fundamental reforms, including the rule of law. The country will discuss the first five chapters, notably Chapters 23 and 24, during its second accession conference with EU member states in mid-October. The government of North Macedonia stated that it wanted to re-negotiate the French proposal, though analysts at the time commented that this was unlikely. Read more here.
Source: European Western Balkans