(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, JANUARY - Discussions with France and Holland on the future enlargement of the EU to the western Balkans have been "open, constructive and encouraging". This is what the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, reported on his Twitter profile, while the Foreign Council was taking place in Brussels.

On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, the Commissioner met the Dutch Foreign Minister, Stef Blok. In recent days he also met the French Minister for European Affairs, Amelie de Montchalin, and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in Paris, in an attempt to unlock the impasse on European enlargement. In October, France and Holland blocked the beginning of EU accession negotiations for Albania and Macedonia. This veto could now be overcome thanks to a proposal for a reform of the EU enlargement process, which Varhelyi is going to announce in the coming weeks.

On January 15 and 16, the commissioner will be in Skopje and Tirana on his first official mission in the western Balkans since the beginning of his term. His agenda includes meetings with the highest political offices of the two Balkan countries and a visit to the places hit by the earthquake last November, with an eye on the donor conference announced today by the EU, which will be held in Brussels on February 17. (ANSA).