Schüssel: Zuidoost-Europese landen in 2014 bij EU (en)

The Austrian chancellor has said that it could be possible for the South Eastern European countries to the join the EU by 2014.

Speaking after a meeting with South Eastern leaders on Wednesday, Wolfgang Schüssel said that the "biggest success is that region is out of the headlines", according to Austrian newspapers.

Erhard Busek, the special coordinator of the Stability Pact for the region said "the priority of EU enlargement is southeastern Europe, there is no other direction".

The meeting was attended by leaders from Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Romania.

Both Romania and Bulgaria are set to join the EU in 2007.

The region has also been told directly by Brussels that EU membership is a definite prospect.

"The process of European unification will not be completed unless the countries of the Western Balkans become members of the European Union", said European Commission President Romano Prodi last year.

The countries of the Western Balkans are Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro.