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Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and his Croatian counterpart, Gordan Grlić-Radman, agreed on the issue during a weekend meeting in Vienna.
This topic would also be a priority during Croatia's presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2020.
"The countries of the Western Balkans, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and Northern Macedonia have certainly had to work hard for EU membership," Radman said, referring specifically to the rule of law and structural reforms.
"Croatia had to do the same thing, six years ago, before joining the EU," he stressed.
"However, we are prepared to help these countries," the Croatian Foreign Minister said at a joint news conference.
Talks with representatives from Albania and Northern Macedonia are already scheduled for October.
Schallenberg said the EU in the "middle of the two flames".
"If the EU refuses to open talks with countries like Albania and North Macedonia, then would lose credibility in the enlargement plans," the Austrian foreign minister said.