French, Dutch skeptical over FYROM, Albania EU talks

France and the Netherlands are likely to resist the opening of European Union accession negotiations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and reject the candidacy of Albania at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday and the EU summit on Thursday and Friday.

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias confirmed during a press conference in Rhodes on Friday that the two countries "have raised objections."

He said Germany, Denmark and Luxembourg expressed skepticism in a letter on whether FYROM and Albania had made enough progress to merit the opening of accession talks but later withdrew their reservations.

The Dutch Parliament voted against Albania's possible candidacy last Thursday but the case of FYROM is being treated separately, whereas German lawmakers support talks with FYROM, under strict conditions.

France has completely...