USA: Disillusioned by the European Council decision of rejecting the opening of negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia

 

 The United States has been "disappointed because of the European Council didn't recognize each country's very strong reform efforts through a decision to open membership negotiations at this time." In a statement to US State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus, it has been stated that "a positive decision would have reaffirmed the credibility of their path to the EU and would have resolutely opposed malicious foreign actors seeking to undermine the Western values and the Euro-Atlantic community”.

The statement underlines the fact that "the European Council did not say 'no' to neither Albania nor Northern Macedonia, nor did it set new conditions for the opening of accession negotiations. Hopefully, the European Council will reach a consensus on a positive decision for both countries ahead of the EU-Western Balkans Summit next summer."

The US State Department statement states that "the United States will remain a strategic partner of Northern Macedonia and Albania as they continue to work to strengthen the rule of law, advance anti-corruption efforts, develop their economies and to fight organized crime. We urge both countries to remain steadfast in building transparent, rule-based, democratic societies that respond to the needs of citizens. The United States will continue to work with European partners to advance the common goals of stability and security in the Western Balkans."