"Austria will continue to stand alongside Macedonia and other Western Balkan countries. We want to support this region. We want, first of all, this region to become a part of the European Union, because the European Union will be comprehensive in geographical terms only after all Western Balkan states will become its members," Kurz told reporters.
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The Austrian chancellor, at the same time, added that it was irrelevant to set a concrete date for Macedonia's joining the bloc.
"Everything always depends on the compliance with the criteria, progress in certain countries of the Western Balkans. But now I see Macedonia's strong will to move toward the European Union," Kurz added.
On February 6, 2018, the European Commission released a new EU enlargement strategy with regard to Western Balkan countries, prior to which Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia were designated as potential candidates for EU membership in 2003.