Member state of the European Union

On the first day that incoming Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias assumed his duties, Greece has called on Ankara to respect the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus and desist from plans for gas and oil drilling off the Karpas peninsula, which has been under Turkish military occupation since 1974.

In Sarajevo on Monday, State Secretary for Inter-Institutional Relations with Romania's Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) Maria Magdalena Grigore reiterated Romania's firm support for the continuation of the EU enlargement process toward the Southeast European region, which was a priority file on the agenda of the former Romanian presidency of the EU Council.

They were revealed further in the continued weakening of the EU engagement perspective in the Balkans in the subsequent months, and were finally and officially confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.

European Union governments failed on Tuesday to make good on a promise to open membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania, which face further delays to their hopes of joining the bloc due to resistance from northern Europe.

As the European Council of Ministers is set to convene on Tuesday in Luxembourg, North Macedonia and Albania fear they will not get what they hoped for - a date for a start to their EU accession talks.

European Union states were at loggerheads on Monday over starting talks with Albania and North Macedonia to enter the bloc, while Cyprus threatened to veto any agreement on future enlargement unless the EU toughens its line on Turkish drilling.

The foreign ministers of Greece and Cyprus, Giorgos Katrougalos and Nikos Christodoulidis, stressed the need for a "clear message" from the European Union urging Turkey to desist with plans to explore for natural gas off the coast of Cyprus.

North Macedonia is likely to win European Union support to start membership talks later this year, diplomats say, but its Balkan neighbour Albania faces opposition in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The Dutch parliament opposed the start of negotiations with Albania last night but rejected the same resolution that concerns Northern Macedonia.

Dutch Parliament voted four resolutions on EU enlargement yesterday but only Albania has won a majority of votes, including the ruling, with 105 votes out of 150 MPs in parliament.

The German parliament on Thursday approved the NATO accession protocol with North Macedonia - but did not discuss supporting the launch of EU accession talks either with North Macedonia or Albania.