The German Chancellor warned opponents to the accessions talks that allowing the Western Balkan states to join the bloc is a “geopolitical” necessity. Her intervention is likely to cause friction between Berlin and Paris, where President Emmanuel Macron has already vetoed formal induction process from beginning. Mrs Merkel yesterday met Albanian prime minister Edi Rama in a show of support for the region.

At a joint press conference, the German leader said: “Anyone who looks at the map, who knows the geopolitical context, knows that it is good for everyone if the countries of the Western Balkans also become member states of the European Union one day.”

She declared that she wants to strike a deal, which would allow accession talks to begin, at the next European Council summit on March 29.

“We will now work hard to achieve the desired results in March,” she said.

France rejected the accession process at a gathering of EU leaders in Brussels last October.

Mr Macron has outlined a reform process for the enlargement process, which he says Paris wants altering before any further accessions can take place.

But this has caused rifts within the corridors of power because at least nine EU countries have rejected the French proposals.

Croatia, who hold the EU’s rotating presidency, are planning to its Zagreb summit in May as a last ditch moment to secure accession talks.

Andrej Plenkovic, the country’s prime minister, said he believes France will change its mind before then.

Success by the May summit in advancing the case for North Macedonia and Albania, who will anyway face many years of talks before they join, will be seen as as an important agreement “that will turn a page” in enhancing regional security, he said earlier this month.

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Albania’s Mr Rama will continue in his attempt to win support for membership talks during a trip to Brussels today.

He will meet EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel to discuss the accession process.

Mrs von der Leyen has previously pleaded with EU leaders to keep their promise of allowing membership talks for Albania and North Macedonia.