Following the European Summit with the Western Balkan countries, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, had a series of meetings in Brussels dedicated to the questions of EU enlargement and to the work of the new Commission with the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic; the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen; the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola; the President of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber; and the new Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica.
Minister Tajani reiterated Italy’s support for the European path of the Western Balkan countries to Serbian President Vucic. “I have organised a new meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the countries of the region with the new EU Commission in Rome that will be held in February”, said Tajani, who stressed that “it is now necessary to achieve concrete results in the enlargement process”. Tajani then highlighted the importance of the countries of the region accelerating the path of reforms to facilitate the progress of the negotiations, while at the same time promoting economic growth and regional integration.
With President von der Leyen, Tajani focused on the priorities of the new Commission, in particular in terms of competitiveness and relaunching the European industrial policy. The Minister of Foreign Affairs thus reiterated the need for a pragmatic approach between growth and sustainability, so as not to damage European companies. During the meeting, the importance of strengthening transatlantic dialogue was then shared, also in view of the change of the US Administration.
With President Metsola, full support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and concern about the growing hybrid actions in different EU countries was reiterated. Minister Tajani highlighted the importance of paying greater attention to the issue of growth in Europe, while expressing satisfaction with the recent vote of the European Parliament that approved the appointment of Bruna Szego as the first President of the EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority.
Minister Tajani then discussed the situation in the Middle East with the new Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Suica. Attention, in particular, was paid to the crisis in Syria and how to support an inclusive transition process. Minister Tajani emphasised the importance of dialogue and support with neighbouring countries, in particular Lebanon and Turkey, also to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees. “I have asked for a more incisive role for the EU in the region,” Minister Tajani explained, calling for a change of pace on the part of the new institutions through a new “pact for the Mediterranean”.