Italian President: EU to be completed only with five Western Balkan countries

Italian President Sergio Mattarella said five countries in the European Union are still missing, which cannot be considered complete due to the history, culture and value they represent, and these are Kosovo, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Albania and Serbia from the Western Balkans.

It's” Italy has special attention to them because the stability of that area is of great interest to us. We have a substantial interest in developing relations beyond the Adriatic. We must fight to consolidate friendly relations, overcome historical misunderstandings and lay the foundation for a broader union”, the Italian president said, according to the Italian newspaper” La Stampa”, broadcast ATSH.

The climax of this strategy was reached a year ago, when Italian President and Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor joined hands in front of Foiba di Basosvisza.

The political fruits of that brotherly gesture, which wanted to build a common historical reminder of the ruins of the past, gathered yesterday in Nova Gorica, where the two heads of state celebrated the Slovenian town's proclamation as the European Capital of Culture for 2025.

The continent's integration process will not be complete until the Western Balkan countries are able to share all our prospects”, the president added.

” Italia and Slovenia have a special responsibility. Together we support our neighbours' aspirations and accompany the reforming processes they are pursuing”, he stressed.

There is no excuse for hesitation on the part of 27, but there is no exchange of course from Western Balkan countries. We should never go back to”, the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, stressed.