The European Commission (EC) would not rule out launching accession talks with Macedonia already this year, Bulgarian news agency BTA reported on April 9.

Within the next few months, the country can achieve substantial headway in reforms to ensure that happens, EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn spokesperson Christina Nagy said.

“If it achieves headway, it will definitely be included in the report on Macedonia's entry to the European Union, which is due for release in autumn,” she added.

The official said the EC posed no new conditions for Macedonia to meet before it starts accession talks with the EU.

Nagy declined to comment whether the name dispute the country has with Greece would be a condition for starting accession talks.