Italy's support for faster Western Balkans integration into the EU

On the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly, a meeting took place involving the ministers of foreign affairs from Western Balkan countries, Croatia, and Slovenia, with Italy hosting the meeting. This gathering represents part of Italy's initiative to hold regular periodic ministerial meetings, with the aim of supporting the integration of Western Balkan states into the European Union through dialogue and collaboration.

The meeting, held on 18 September in New York, followed the first meeting in this format, which took place in Rome on 3 April 2023.

The meeting included the following participants: the host, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, as well as representatives from Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro.

During the meeting, the participants discussed Italy's readiness to further enhance cooperation with the countries in the region in various fields, including the economy, energy, critical infrastructure, justice, and the fight against corruption and organised crime. These discussions reflected the focus of Italy on the Western Balkans as a region of strategic importance.

Regarding the need to accelerate the European integration process for Western Balkan states, Deputy Prime Minister Tajani discussed concrete modalities for further developing this Italian initiative through regular meetings and consultations within this format and other international forums, primarily the EU and the UN.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Robert Markić expressed appreciation on behalf of the Montenegrin government for Italy's continuous efforts and dedication to the swift conclusion of the European integration process for Western Balkan states. He emphasised Montenegro's full commitment to meeting the necessary standards in the EU accession process, which is the country's next foreign policy priority. Markić also highlighted Montenegro's readiness to continue sharing its experiences gained during the European integration process with other countries in the region and EU candidate countries.

In the context of global challenges affecting the European perspective of the Western Balkans, the meeting provided an opportunity for Montenegro to condemn Russia's unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine and express full support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Montenegro also expressed its readiness to continue providing all forms of assistance and support to Ukraine, both bilaterally and within regional and global multilateral forums.

During the meeting, the participants acknowledged and expressed gratitude to Italy for its proactive approach and concrete actions in demonstrating its dedication to the Western Balkans as a region of strategic foreign policy importance. They also emphasised the shared interest of all participants in the meeting in the strategic importance and the need for further strengthening stability in the Western Balkans as a prerequisite for economic prosperity and full integration into the family of democratic and developed European states.