The head of Italian diplomacy, Antonio Tajani, says that the region can no longer wait for membership in the European Union and that Italy in Brussels will be the spokesperson for the demand and desire to join the EU.

“The strong need for Europe and Italy coming from the Western Balkans must be answered without delay. For this reason, we decided that the dialogue started at the ministerial meeting in Rome on April 3 will continue with a new meeting, which will be held until the end of the year, to determine how our cooperation is progressing. Italy wants to play a leading role and is ready to join the game, because the future of our country and of Europe is at stake. The Balkans can’t wait any longer”, he wrote in an editorial for Belgrade-based Blic.

Tajani emphasizes that what the countries of the Western Balkans are looking for is the certainty of the process, the deadlines and above all the final result.

“I could feel their frustration with the integration process, which has become increasingly unstable in recent years, thanks to the often bureaucratic interpretation of the negotiation dynamics by the EU. In this way, the extraordinary transformative value that the integration process has for the institutions and civil society of these countries is forgotten. The European dream risks becoming an illusion for all of them”, said Tajani.

He adds that the meeting in Rome served to give immediate concrete answers and that it defined several directions of initiatives, which will be worked on in the following months in sectors of common interest.

“These sectors are, for example, the protection and preservation of cultural heritage, as a response to current challenges, starting from climate change and technological innovations, to the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors,” said Tajani.

He says he is optimistic about the results that can be achieved to build a synergy that can ensure a future of peace and prosperity for the region, working to break down barriers that limit the free movement of people, goods, services and capital, with aiming to achieve a common regional market as the first step towards integration into the EU common market.

“We have challenges that we have in common with the Western Balkans and that also require joint responses: the energy transition, support for growth and employment, the fight against irregular migration,” said the head of Italian diplomacy.

He emphasizes that his country intends to develop a multidimensional action towards the Balkan region.

/k.s/