The Hague, 13 June 2022 (MIA) – The Dutch government now supports the candidacies of Albania and North Macedonia to join the EU after blocking the start of their negotiations with the bloc in 2019 alongside France and Denmark. The government and the coalition parties in the lower house are championing Albania and North Macedonia to become EU members as the two candidate countries hope they will be approved a date soon, NL Times reports. North Macedonia is blocked by Bulgaria to start negotiations with the Union due to a dispute over the language and history all the while Tirana’s path to EU accession is tied with North Macedonia’s EU bid. In May, the European Parliament called on the European Council to approve the opening of negotiations of Albania and North Macedonia citing the geostrategic context of the relations with Russia and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is now advocating for Albania and North Macedonia to start negotiating with the EU, reports De Telegraaf daily. Back in 2018, Rutte had said that Albania and North Macedonia will weaken the whole bloc pinpointing corruption and lack of freedom of media. A year later, the Netherlands along France and Denmark blocked the two EU hopefuls to open negotiations. The Hague has changed its position despite a significant drop in freedom of the media in Albania and the fact that corruption, especially at high level, remains a key issue, writes Euractiv. Rutte is now seeking support from the whole of EU. At a news conference in May alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Dutch PM said everyone in the EU was trying to make everything that is possible for the Western Balkans to remain stable and to find a solution to the issues in the region, especially in North Macedonia and Bulgaria.