German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would push for a start to EU accession talks for Albania and North Macedonia.

"Above all, we want to reach an agreement at the next EU Council in March to start accession negotiations with Albania, and also with North Macedonia," she said after a meeting with Albania's prime minister Edi Rama, and added that both countries have achieved a lot.

In October, France has opposed to the countries' joining, saying that the EU needs to reform itself first. ...