The Prime Minister of Macedonia Zoran Zaev said on Friday he expected Skopje to soon get a green light for the start of accession negotiations with the European Union after ending a 27-year-old dispute over Macedonian name.

Zaev told reporters that the steps Macedonia was making should persuade every country, such as France, that still had some reserve regarding the enlargement process, not to undermine the process.

“I hope that not a single country will remain unmoved with the friendships and manners that Macedonia has shown, something that is needed both in the Balkans and Europe as a whole,“ Zaev said.

The European General Affairs Council would discuss the accession process for Macedonia and Albania next Tuesday, and the issue would be on the agenda of the EU summit on June 28-29.

The Dutch parliament has already blocked Albania.

Zaev added that France would follow the footsteps of The Netherlands which agreed to allow the start of accession talks with Macedonia.
Zaev said that the talks would take years and that Macedonia would improve as a state and also could help the progress of Europe while advancing in negotiations.

“I hope that (French President) Emmanuel Macron’s heart will soften. I understand the internal problems he is facing in France, but Paris is our great friend,” he added.