Skopje, 18 November 2021 (MIA) – We hope for an opening of [EU] negotiations with North Macedonia in December, Austria’s Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Michael Linhart told a joint press conference in Skopje alongside Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani. Those excluding the Western Balkans are weakening Europe, he said, adding Austria has been and will keep insisting on start of negotiations as soon as December. “This is our request and we have been presenting this request to our EU partners very intensely in fact,” Linhart said. Opening of negotiations in December, according to him, is not only important for North Macedonia and Albania but also it might have a positive impact for the whole region of the Western Balkans. Minister Linhart said that as long as Western Balkan countries are left outside of the EU, the bloc has failed the integration process. The Western Balkans in part of Europe, he stressed. “North Macedonia is a typical example for EU candidate, which is why Austria will be championing start of negotiations with North Macedonia,” said the Austrian Foreign Minister. The strength and well-being of the Western Balkans, Linhart stated, is the strength and well-being of the whole of Europe. We, he said, want to give the people of the Western Balkans European perspective. “It is necessary to encourage the integration process and for that to happen, North Macedonia and Albania should be approved to start negotiating now, as soon as December. We need to tie these countries to the EU with more active measures, such as the Erasmus measures, institutional measures in order the Western Balkan countries to be heard more clearly in Brussels. We managed to discuss the future of Europe with the Western Balkan countries, because the European perspective for the people in the Western Balkans is very important,” the Austrian Minister stressed. Minister Osmani said Austria is one of the strongest supporters of the process of the Western Balkans becoming part of the EU. “It is Vienna’s position that Europe is not complete without the Western Balkans being part of the EU and we are thankful for this. We are in a very crucial period for the European integration of the country and the whole region. I told the Minister that the key to unblocking the whole region lies in North Macedonia and in our dossier. The unblocking should start by approving negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, which is going to encourage other countries to settle disputes so as to the region takes the European course and becomes part of the EU,” Osmani told the news conference. December remains a good window for launching EU negotiations. “It is crucial not only for our story, but also for the credibility of the European future,” said North Macedonia’s Minister. According to him, the European future for Macedonia will be determined in the period to come. “I hope it will be December, but it depends on whether Bulgaria forms new government and on whether they can make a decision, a good one. As a realized yesterday, 26 EU member countries believe that December is the time when negotiations should be opened with our country. I realized this also in the EU institutions,” Osmani told the joint news conference with Linhart.