The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Vincenzo Amendola, was on a mission in Trieste where today he participated in the Senior Officials Meeting with the closest aides of the Heads of State and Government taking part in the Summit of the Western Balkans Process, to be hosted in Trieste on 12 July.
In his address to the representatives of the member countries of the Process, the Undersecretary highlighted the significance of Trieste as the host city, representing a symbol and a gateway to Europe for the entire Balkan area. Mr Amendola underlined that Italy has always promoted the European perspective of the Region, and is a firm supporter of the need to reunify Europe through the Western Balkans accessing the EU – a strategic, courageous and politically farsighted choice, which is indispensable to guarantee peace and security in the continent.
The Trieste Summit will represent an important occasion to favour an atmosphere of mutual confidence and trust, focusing on the Western Balkans’ accession to the European Union, a goal that will encourage them to work together and pursue regional cooperation. During the Trieste Summit, Italy will further contribute to the regional cooperation that it also supports by taking on a leading role in promoting regional initiatives such as the Central European Initiative and the Adriatic Ionian Initiative.
The Senior Officials Meeting, held on 26 June, officially started the organisation of the Summit of the Western Balkans Process. On that day Trieste will become an international capital of diplomacy, welcoming the Heads of State and Government of the countries included in the Process and part of the Western Balkan region. The Summit will be attended also by top officials of the European institutions, led by the High Representative and Vice President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, along with the Commissioners for Enlargement, Transport and Education.
The Trieste Summit will, therefore, further the political dialogue at the highest level and bring about concrete actions for the Western Balkans. A new package of infrastructure projects in the fields of transportation and energy will also be announced during the event, to contribute to the development of the regional connectivity.
During his visit to Trieste, the representative of the Italian Government had the opportunity to hold talks with the Governor of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Debora Serracchiani, the Mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza, and the Prefect, Anna Laura Porzio. He expressed his gratitude to them for the full support they gave to the organisation of the Summit and commended them for the excellent work done by the institutional organisational staff of the capital city of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
