The chief European diplomats decided on Tuesday to postpone the start of the accession negotiations with Albania and Macedonia until the next year, in a move which many would see as a surprise, the Beta news agency reported.

The disappointment that came from a meeting in Luxembourg will probably be higher in Skopje which expected the beginning of the accession process following the historic deal with Greece on a new country name, the issue that has been stalling the country for 27 years.

On the other hand, Tirana could foresee the move after the Dutch Parliament voted against the starts of negotiations with Albania, saying the country had done little in curbing corruption.

But, the decision came even after the EU Foreign and Security Chief Federica Mogherini told reporters in Luxembourg before the meeting that impressive progress was recently achieved in the Western Balkans

However, on Tuesday three countries: France, the Netherlands and Denmark disagreed with the 25 other EU member states, saying both Skopje and Tirana should do more to improve the rule of law and fight against organised crime and corruption, the diplomatic sources told the Beta news agency.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said he requested a favourable decision “because of the internal situation in both countries which need stability and security, not a new problem.”

Beta’s sources said the Netherlands had objections to Macedonian authorities’ handling of the rule of law and state administration, while France criticised Albania for failing to curb the organised crime.