(Adnkronos) – The European Union must keep sending “positive messages” to Western Balkan countries seeking to join the bloc and must not let them down, despite the obstacles still lying in their path, Italy said on Wednesday.
“We must continue to give positive messages to the Balkans and not disappoint them,” foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on the sidelines of an event in Rome.
“I am in favour of their entry into the EU,” Tajani underlined.
“There are tensions, Italy is the most committed country of all in the area and we believe they are taking steps to be full EU members despite the difficulties that exist,” Tajani said.
“There have been too many delays, but these have certainly not been caused by Italy,” Tajani said.
Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia are all EU candidates, while Kosovo has applied for EU membership. Montenegro’s EU bid is the furthest advanced among Western Balkans countries, having opened 33 out of 35 stringent accession negotiation chapters and provisionally completed three of these. The country hopes to join the bloc in 2028.
