EU envoy seeks start of North Macedonia membership talks

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES
Associated Press

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — A top European Union official says the EU wants to start formal membership talks with North Macedonia by early this summer and renew efforts to address objections from neighboring Bulgaria. The EU ’s enlargement commissioner said during a visit to North Macedonia on Wednesday that the bloc is eager to break the two-year deadlock. Hastening the process of admitting new members has taken on more urgency following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. It argues that neighboring North Macedonia has failed to honor parts of their 2017 friendship deal. EU leaders gave North Macedonia and Albania the green light in 2020 to begin accession talks but didn’t set a date.