site.btaUPDATED Croatian President Milanovic: Albania, N Macedonia Could Be Separated in Their EU Accession Negotiation Process

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of President Rumen Radev, said on Thursday that "unfortunately" there is the possibility that Albania and North Macedonia will be separated in the EU accession negotiation process because North Macedonia has certain conditions which, if it does not fulfill, it will not be able to continue with Albania. 

According to him, Albania will probably be able to continue the negotiation process on its own.  

The constitutional changes to which North Macedonia has committed are a condition that the EU has accepted, he said. North Macedonia has signed this condition and has to fulfill it, Milanovic was adamant. 

He noted that all these countries should have been part of the EU already, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. 

Milanovic also commented on the Schengen issue, which, in his words, is important for Bulgaria. Bulgaria and Romania are still waiting to join Schengen. The criteria are political. Croatia has been waiting for seven years after it was checked and ready. Bulgaria is waiting because two countries have issues against the country's accession. Milanovic noted that one of these countries is Austria, with which he believes talks can be held. 

The unity of the EU is not a dogma and it is not something that goes without saying and there are no people with clear democratic mandates who have the right to speak on behalf of the EU, apart from the basic principles, Milanovic said. "We are nation states, we are different, some are more liberal, more open societies, others are more conservative", he added.