Austrian Chancellor: Ukraine not treat it differently from the Western Balkans

In an interview for the German newspaper “Die Welt”, Nehammer stressed that the conditions required by Western Balkan countries should apply to Ukraine as well.

I want to state that we have set clear criteria that must be met without “if” and without “por”. There should be no double standards nor separation between countries as first-hand and second-hand”, Nehammer said.

It would be unimaginable for me to grant Ukraine candidate status and to put aside Bosnia and Herzegovina”.

For years now, the countries of the region, including Albania, have received candidate status, but while negotiations chapters for Albania and Northern Macedonia have yet to be opened with Serbia and Montenegro, there is still no date.

Over the past few years the obstacle to this has become mainly the Netherlands, which opposed the launch of talks with Albania, while in recent months Bulgaria has vetoed northern Macedonia due to disagreements on Bulgarian identity there.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has declared that he does not expect negotiations to begin even after the upcoming meeting of the European Council, to be held in June, and, if that is confirmed, will require Albania's process to be separated from that of Northern Macedonia.