UNITED NATIONS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday welcomed the decision of the European Union to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, said his spokesman.

Guterres congratulated the governments and people of the two countries on achieving this important milestone, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

Guterres encouraged sustained efforts to implement national reforms, including those toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, said the statement.

North Macedonia has just become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after it resolved a long-standing name dispute with Greece.