According to Austria's Minister of European Affairs, Karoline Edtstadler, and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, Austria aims to advance Western Balkan states' integration into the European Union. 

They have submitted proposals via a letter and a "non-paper" to European Union External Relations, Josep Borell, and Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi in a bid to speed up the process. 

Since Ukraine received EU candidate status, there have been concerns that Western Balkan states could be subject to marginalisation within the European Union's expansion plans. Countries including Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia have been waiting for EU accession for several years, Schengen Visa Info reports.

One of the main elements of the proposals is a plan detailing the successive integration of the Western Balkan states by next year, as per the ORF report. 

In addition, further financial support is to be put in place via an improved incentive system. 

Austria's Foreign Minister unveiled the establishment of a core group within the EU, made up of Austria, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, as well as the Czech Republic, DiePresse reports. Known as the "Friends of the Western Balkans," the group aims to bolster connections between the Western Balkan nations and the EU before joining the bloc.

Moreover, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, earlier this year echoed calls to the EU to speed up the integration of Western Balkan countries.

He said this would be a positive move and would strengthen the bloc further, helping EU nations to manage migration issues more effectively.

During the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tirana last December, EU leaders reiterated the full commitment to the Western Balkans' EU membership perspective. 

President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said at the time: "The EU is more committed than ever to a common future, with our Western Balkans partners inside the EU. And we are taking every opportunity to bring our regions and our people closer together."