Below is an article written by Konstantin Testorides and published by BusinessWeek.com;

SKOPJE, Macedonia - The EU enlargement chief urged Macedonia's governing conservatives on Thursday to speed up reforms and mend ties with opposition ethnic Albanians if the tiny Balkan country wants a starting date for EU entry talks.

Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the pace of economic and political reforms "has slowed down" since Macedonia was granted candidate status in December 2005.

"Substantial progress is needed before the commission can seriously consider recommending a start of accession negotiations," Rehn said.

He was speaking after a meeting in Skopje with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

Rehn also voiced concerns over simmering tension between the government and Macedonia's largest ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration, or DUI.

"This kind of political climate is not constructive in making progress toward meeting EU criteria," Rehn said.

DUI deputies have boycotted Parliament debates, accusing Gruevski's government of ignoring the rights of the Albanian minority -- about a quarter of the county's 2.1 million population.

An uprising by ethnic Albanian rebels in 2001 left about 80 people dead in six months of clashes with government forces, and brought the tiny Balkan country to the brink of civil war.

The DUI was also angered by Gruevski's decision last year to include a smaller ethnic Albanian party, the DPA, in his coalition cabinet.

Rehn urged the government to ensure a "sufficient degree" of political consensus, but also called on the opposition to "act constructively."

"Boycotting democratic institutions is certainly not the right way forward," Rehn said.

The commissioner also met Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski.