Next week, Albania opens new negotiating chapters for EU membership

This will take place during intergovernmental conferences between the EU and Montenegro on 16 December, as well as with Albania a day later.

The Hungarian presidency added that ambassadors of the bloc's countries approved the EU's joint position on opening 30 and 31 chapters in negotiations with Albania, as well as closing chapters 7, 10 and 20 in negotiations with Montenegro.

Montenegro hoped it would close four chapters, but Croatia blocked the closure of chapter 31, which concerns foreign, security and defence policy.

Radio Free Europe reported long ago, citing several sources in Brussels that at the upcoming intergovernmental conference, Montenegro would likely close three chapters of negotiations for EU membership.

On Friday afternoon, a meeting of ambassadors of EU member states was held, where participants had to agree on the text of final conclusions for enlargement and decide on the number of chapters Montenegro would close, as well as on those to open Albania next week.

It is necessary for the opening and closing of each chapter to favor all members of the European Union.

Chapter 30 for Albania concerns foreign relations, while that 31 has to do with foreign, security and defence policy.

In October, Albania opened the first chapter of membership negotiations with the European Union.

The opening of chapters for Albania came after a long wait, as it had applied for membership in 2009 and had received the candidate country's statute in 2014.

Meanwhile, Montenegro will temporarily shut down intellectual property rights; chapter 10, information society and media; and chapter 20, business and industry policies.

Montenegro has opened all negotiating chapters and provisionally closed three after opening negotiations for membership in 2012.

After several years of stagnation, this country resumed negotiations in June of this year and next week it will close three more chapters. /Radio Free Europe/