Merkel says I will talk to Macroni about opening negotiations as soon as possible for Albania

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said she will talk to France's President Emmanuel Macron to create the conditions for opening negotiations for Albania and Northern Macedonia.

She stressed that she wants consensus as quickly as possible for European Union enlargement reform.

Those statements she made after meeting with her Croatian counterpart, Andrej Plenkovic.

“Supports the Croatian government's plans to organise a joint conference with Western Balkan countries in full-fledged European Union format. And it will be important that we create the conditions for starting negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia”, Merkel said.

We now have to talk to France, and we have to do this very intensively, to determine the elements that need to be improved, that need to be changed, in the enlargement process. We're willing to talk, even though we have a lot of opportunities today to be flexible”- Merkel added.

According to the German government's chief reforming enlargement “should provide the Western Balkan countries with a real membership perspective”.

She warned that reform should not result in the EU withdrawing from promises made.

The German Chancellor is in Zagreb to attend the European People's Party Congress. Croatia will be the next EU chairman in the first half of next year, while Germany will be in the second half.