Tajani: Rome Charter adopted, reuniting the European family with the Balkans a priority

Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani announced that a document had been adopted today at the Friends of the Western Balkans summit in Rome, providing for equality among Member States following accession to the European Union, no new accession requirements or conditions, and the establishment of a common framework tailored to each candidate country.

“Today, I hosted the Friends of the Western Balkans group in Rome. We adopted the ‘Rome Charter’, a political document of the Italian Government that we will present in Brussels: equal status for Member States upon accession, no new accession requirements or conditions, and the definition of a common framework tailored to each candidate,” Tajani wrote on the social media platform X.

He stressed the importance of making the reunification of the European family with the Balkans a priority.

“Together, we are working to strengthen transport infrastructure, energy networks and digital connectivity, from the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) to Corridor VIII, as well as food security. We are convinced of the need to accord political priority to reuniting the European family with the Balkans. Italy intends to lead this process with a clear and determined strategic vision,” Tajani stated.

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric, who participated in the summit in Rome today, said that discussions focused on why it is important for the European Union to enlarge at this juncture and how the countries of the Western Balkans contribute to Europe's resilience.