The Adriatic-Balkan region is a strategic area for Italy. Its close historical, cultural and geopolitical ties with the region attach priority attention to developments in this area, in view of their immediate impact on Italy’s national security.
The priorities pursued by Italy are supporting the region’s stabilization, consolidating the democratic transition, strengthening institutions and the rule of law, and achieving the definitive transition to free-market economic systems. These goals are pursued through firm support for the region’s European and Atlantic integration processes and intensive bilateral action. Italy is fully committed to ensuring that this integration process proceeds in line with the region’s great expectations.
A central element of Italy’s commitment to regional stabilisation is our contribution to the KFOR and EULEX missions in Kosovo and to EUFOR Althea in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In addition to bilateral cooperation, Italy has always intensively fostered regional cooperation as a means of promoting the solution of outstanding issues in the region and helping to break down barriers that limit the region’s full potential.
The importance of the Adriatic-Balkan region for Italy is also confirmed by the prominence of economic cooperation and by the intense trade we have with the region.
Italy is firmly among the main trading partners of all the countries in the region. The amount of Italian investment is also considerable, as is the number of Italian companies operating in the Balkans. The presence of the main Italian credit institutions is also extremely significant.
The spreading of the Italian language in the region is also significant, by virtue of the powerful cultural attraction exerted by our country, as well as the impact of specific programmes promoted by Italy.