"This is an important moment for the Western Balkans and the European Union," said the head of Czech diplomacy at the opening of the accession conferences. "We know that the approval process in the Macedonian parliament was painful and demanding for your country, but your determination prevailed," he added, praising North Macedonia's commitment in accepting the compromise. For Albania, he pointed to their patience while waiting for the unblocking. "For several years, you have firmly stood by North Macedonia as your neighbor and fellow candidate. I am very glad that the wait is over for both of you," the minister added.

Both countries have been linked in time and procedurally in the process of EU integration in recent years. In order to start their negotiations, a solution had to be found for Bulgaria's demands regarding the obligations of the bilateral friendship treaty with North Macedonia. The content framework for the agreement was negotiated by France during its presidency. Under the Czech presidency, the agreement was confirmed via a complex process in the Macedonian parliament and all the necessary procedural steps were completed.

Czechia has long supported the enlargement of the EU to include the countries of the Western Balkans. This is an important priority of the Czech presidency. "Personally, I am very happy that it is the Czech Presidency that is at the beginning of the accession negotiations. Czechia also went through this process. It perceives its complexity very well, but also the benefits it brings in the end," said Minister Lipavský at the opening of the conference.

In addition to the member states, the High Representative of the Union for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Várhelyi, took part in the conference. The North Macedonian delegation was led by Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski and the Albanian delegation by Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The intergovernmental conferences in Brussels followed the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, at which the ministers of the member countries discussed the Russian aggression together with the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba. Other topics discussed during the Council were digital diplomacy, defending the EU against disinformation, and the EU's relations with Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ministr Lipavský zahájil za EU přístupová jednání se Severní Makedonií a Albánií