3. april 2023 17:42

Dacic: Italy wants to back EU integration, become more present in region

Autor: Tanjug

Izvor: TANJUG

Foto: Tanjug/video

ROME - Serbian First Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic said on Monday Italy wanted to back European integration of the entire Western Balkans.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Italian FM Antonio Tajani, Dacic said a meeting of Western Balkan FMs in Italy was a useful initiative.

"Tajani was clear and he has pointed that out before, that Italy wants to be more present in our region, which suits us, and that Italy wants to back European integration of the entire Western Balkans, which is also our strategic goal," Dacic said in Rome, where he attended the ministerial meeting and a conference on Western Balkans.

He reiterated Tajani had visited Belgrade and attended a Serbia-Italy business forum, which he said was one of the largest business forums in Serbia in recent years.

He said Tajani had also visited the Serbia booth at the VinItaly wine fair in Verona to speak with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the PMs of Albania and North Macedonia, Edi Rama and Dimitar Kovacevski.

That lends dynamic to Italy's relations with the region and demonstrates its support for European integration, he said.

Dacic also said Tajani had announced he would convene a similar meeting with Western Balkan FMs by the end of the year to review the effects of cooperation.