The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, chaired the ministerial meeting for the Western Balkans in Rome on Monday, with the aim of consolidating Italy’s role in the region’s EU membership process, which is accelerating after the Russian attack on Ukraine.

The meeting was attended by the Foreign Ministers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosova, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, the Swedish Foreign Minister, Tobias Billström, as President of the Council of the European Union, and the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Varhelyi.

This meeting urged the promotion the EU integration of the Balkan countries, with official Rome wanting to play a leading role and aiming to facilitate the process by promoting dialogue and investments.

The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, also sent a message to this ministerial stating that an acceleration of the country’s integration into the EU would increase stability.

The Italian Prime Minister, emphasized also the strategic value of integration and asked for the preservation of momentum. In her opening message, the Italian Prime Minister noted that the Western Balkans has always been of strategic importance to Italy.

Her government, she stressed, aims to strengthen Rome’s political, economic and cultural ties with these nations, since “everything that happens beyond the Adriatic inevitably has an immediate reflection on us” and Italy bears “a great responsibility” to them.

Noting that the EU and its member states made significant resources available to the region, Italian Prime Minister stressed the need to “move forward together” to effectively implement the Economic and Investment Plan, thereby strengthening the economy of the region and the acceleration of its integration into the common market.

While Albanian chief diplomat, Xhaçka pointed out that the security and stability of the Western Balkans is crucial to the stability and security of Europe

Regarding this ministerial, the head of Albanian diplomacy, Xhaçka, who was present alongside her Balkans counterparts, also extended her gratitude to her Italian colleague Antonio Tajani, for his role and attitude especially towards the Balkans region.

“Italy is a true friend of Albania and we welcome working closely together to further expand our cooperation in the field of economy and especially energy. I underlined that Russia’s illegal aggression in Ukraine has threatened the security and stability not only of the region, but also of Europe, and at the same time it has increased the commitment and cooperation of the EU with our region. I emphasized that the security and stability of the Western Balkans remains crucial for the stability and security of Europe. Today, the region is a much more reliable and constructive partner. As the leader of the Berlin Process, Albania is concentrating its efforts towards the implementation of the Common Regional Market and the Plan for Economic Investment in the Western Balkans,” chief Albanian diplomat, Xhaçka.

/a.p./