Skopje, 6 May 2022 (MIA) – We expect our EU accession process to make a breakthrough during the French EU presidency, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj said Friday in an address at the Strategic Streams 2022 international conference. “At the same time, we work closely with our neighbor Bulgaria to find a mutually acceptable solution to open issues. We have done our part, we’ve done more than expected, now it is time the EU made its step forward,” Marichikj said. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, he said, has clearly shown how important it is to complete the unification in the European continent to make it stronger and more resilient to current or future threats, the Secretariat for European Affairs said. “It is high time the EU kept its promise to the country and remained credible to confirm its role as global actor by accelerating the enlargement process and acknowledging the damage done from the status quo,” Marichik said noting that France has the chance to revive the enlargement process by approving a decision on the opening of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania by holding the first intergovernmental conference with the two countries. The annual conference, organized by the Forum for Strategic Studies (FORST) and Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), was dedicated to the consequences from the French presidential elections for the future of the EU and the Western Balkans. The event brought together representatives from Germany, France, EU institutions and the Western Balkans, said the press release.