EU leaders letter to member states: Open negotiations, Tirana and Skopje have done what they were asked to do

 From the left: David Sassoli, Donald Tusk, Jean-Claude Junker and Ursula von der Leyen

 The heads of the European Union institutions have addressed a letter to member states to open membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.

The letter signed by Donald Tusk (President of the European Council), David Sassoli (President of the European Parliament), Jean-Claude Juncker (Acting President of the European Commission) and Ursula von der Leyen (President-in-Office of the European Commission) states that Tirana and Skopje have done what they were asked to do in order to open the negotiations.

Leaders say the European Union is facing a strategic choice and the decision to negotiate with the two Balkan states is a test for the union's ability to keep promises and look to the future.

You can read the full letter as it is written: