Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told Zoran Zaev that it is high time for Macedonia to open its EU accession talks, Zaev’s office said in a press release after their meeting in Vienna, at the gathering of Balkan leaders.

Kurz reportedly said that this move would intensify the Europeanization of Macedonia and the Balkans. Macedonia remains blocked by Bulgaria, which demands major concessions on issues of national identity and history before it would allow the accession talks to begin. Albania is also stuck by default, as it is in the same group with Macedonia.