Hahn: I hope to review negotiations decision with Tirana, Skopje

The European Parliament's Eurocommissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, in his recent speech to the European Parliament's Commission for Foreign Affairs, in the debate focused mainly on the Western Balkans, expressed regret that EU member states failed to reach consensus in October for starting membership negotiations with Northern Macedonia and Albania.

He again stressed that a major damage to the credibility of the European Union was caused by this move.

He considers that the EU cannot allow the right to deal with domestic reform and even then start processes in the region, because there is enormous danger in the meantime to occur reform jams in Western Balkan countries.

“Faithfulness suffered great damage. The EU in the world speaks of multilateralism successes and we are leading in this, but we failed to make a decision here. Our credibility has been damaged”, Han told the Eurodeputs.

He commemorated that EU credibility is one of its greatest priorities.

” We gave assurances when the criteria would be realised. We did not respect our promises and I hope the decision will be revised”, he stressed.

He also recalled that the conditions which were set before the countries in June 2018 were consensus of EU member states, not of the European Commission, and that nothing was imposed on member states.

Eurodeputs expressed gratitude and support to Eurocommissioner Hahn.

Latvia's Eurodeput, from the ranks of the European People's Party (EPP), Sandra Kalnieste said she feels personal disgrace because of the EU Summit's October decision.

I have been telling the North Macedonian ambassador for years that you only choose the name issue and that you will enter. The damage to our credibility is great. If we have another summit in which countries' hopes will be disappointed, it will be catastrophic”, Kalnite said.