The European Commission has said that EU membership negotiations with the Republic of Macedonia can begin.

The commission says that Macedonia, which since 2005 has been a candidate for joining the European Union, has made major steps towards meeting membership conditions.

European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn says membership talks with Croatia are going well and may be completed by the end of 2010. Diplomats believe Croatia could in 2012 become the 28th country to join the EU. Mr Rehn says Iceland may also manage to join the EU around the same time.

The commission was less upbeat about Turkey, saying Ankara needed to push through a number of political and economic reforms. The EU says Turkey still needs to guarantee the rights of minority groups, women and the unions, although some progress on these issues has been made.

Other potential EU members, such as Serbia, Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro and Kosovo still have some way to go to fulfill the criteria for membership.

Macedonian flag (Wikipedia)