Tajani in Belgrade: EU Institutions Need to Shorten Serbia’s Accession Deadlines

Antonio Tajani,Belgrade ,Jan. 31 2025 (BETAPHOTO/Milos Miškov)

Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani said on Jan. 31 at a Serbia-Italy Business Forum in Belgrade that his country was advocating for a faster EU accession process for Serbia.

"These are not just empty words because we want all EU institutions to get involved, so that they can understand how important it is to shorten the deadlines for Serbia’s accession to the Union. In a way, we are Serbia's ambassadors in Brussels, and we are truly committed to this," he said in his address. The Italian foreign minister also said that the presence of Italian companies in Serbia was not just economic, but also a message of friendship.

Tajani said that Italy was closely monitoring the situation in Serbia. "It is not Italy’s place to interfere in the internal affairs of a friendly country, but there needs to be dialogue, and violence should not be used - dialogue precludes violence. It is important to listen to young people, but they must also listen to others," Tajani told reporters after his meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Serbia and Italy have developed a positive relationship, he added, especially economically speaking. The Italian official also said a meeting would take place in Rome, on Feb. 10 with the foreign ministers of the Western Balkans, and that it would be attended by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.