Tirana/Berlin, 11 April 2022 (MIA) – Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama again on Monday said Albania will push for decoupling from North Macedonia if EU accession negotiations aren’t formally launched in June. Speaking at a news conference in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Rama cited a recent public opinion poll saying that 65 percent of Albanian citizens favor decoupling from North Macedonia. Albania will seek solo membership bid if the opening of accession talks is still blocked by Bulgaria in June, he said. “Until June, we will be in line with North Macedonia, when we believe the two countries should be greenlit. If Bulgaria blocked the process in June, we would push for decoupling because it takes unreasonably long,” PM Rama said. According to Albanian media reports, Chancellor Scholz underlined the importance of the Berlin Process, saying the time has come for the Western Balkans to join the EU. We, he stressed, have been living in a new era, which also has to do with the Russian aggression. “Europe is increasingly becoming aware that we need to support each other. I will be committed to everything that supports the Berlin Process.”