European affairs ministers will hold an informal meeting on April 20, during which the Portuguese minister will brief her EU counterparts on the state of enlargement with the Western Balkans, but the topic will not be part of the discussion, MIA reports from Brussels.
The General Affairs Council (GAC) is the body that decides on North Macedonia’s intergovernmental conference and the adoption of the negotiating framework, which Bulgaria blocked last year due to a bilateral dispute.
A senior EU diplomat told MIA that the positions of member-states on North Macedonia would be presented at the April 20 meeting.
“The Portuguese minister will brief colleagues on the state of enlargement and the stabilization and association process, what has been done since January and what is to be done in the coming months. The minister will convey the reactions of the member-states at the press conference after the meeting,” said the diplomat when asked if Portugal expects the intergovernmental conference with North Macedonia or Albania to take place during the country’s EU Presidency.
