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Germany hopes for EU accession talks with Skopje, Tirana
By EUobserver
German chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday she hoped EU accession talks could be launched with North Macedonia and Albania before her country's EU presidency finishes at the end of the year. Merkel - in a nod to Bulgaria, which has threatened to block Skopje's accession over historical claims - stressed the role the process has played in "reconciliation as well as overcoming historical tensions and the legacy of the past".