Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani attended the Berlin Process Summit of Heads of State and Government today in Budva, Montenegro, on behalf of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Minister Tajani has announced the completion of the TIPS Clone project, a new instant payment system designed for the countries of the Western Balkans. The initiative, developed upon proposal of the Bank of Italy, is modelled on the European TIPS system, which enables instant payments to be made 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The project will help to facilitate economic exchanges, reduce transaction costs and promote the region’s gradual integration into the European financial infrastructure. It involves Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro, and will be officially launched on 23 November in Rome, in the presence of the Governors of the Central Banks concerned.
The project represents a tangible outcome of Italy’s long-term commitment to the Western Balkans and demonstrates how support for the region’s European perspective is a systemic priority of Italian foreign policy, involving various national institutions. Minister Tajani reiterated that the European integration of the Western Balkans represents a strategic investment in the stability, security and prosperity of the region and the entire continent.
