EU member states decided not to discuss Balkan enlargement during their upcoming European Council meeting on April 19th, the MIA news agency reported.

The Zaev regime was hoping to have the issue of enlargement on the agenda, hoping to put some additional pressure on Bulgaria, which is blocking the opening of accession talks with Macedonia. MIA reports that half the other EU member states and foreign policy representative Josep Borrell asked that the Council discusses enlargement, but eventually the decision was negative.

Bulgaria blocks Macedonia, while Albania, the other Balkan country that expects to be allowed to open EU accession talks, is blocked by the Netherlands and other EU member states, concerned about its rule of law situation. Serbia and Montenegro, on the other hand, expect to advance in their on-going talks.