EU ministers are to discuss new security initiatives with the Western Balkans in what is seen as the first step toward EU accession.

Brussels has said it hopes the Western Balkan states will join the bloc by 2025.

European interior ministers convened in Brussels on Thursday to discuss how the bloc will coordinate its latest security and migration policies with Western Balkan states.

The conditions for Western Balkan countries to join the EU membership will not be met before the end of the mandate of the current European Commission (EC).

EC President Jean-Claude Juncker said this on Wednesday, during his "state of the union" address at the European Parliament.

Beta is reporting that Juncker "stressed the EU will have more than 27 member states in the coming years."