UKRAINE CANNOT HAVE PRIORITY OVER BALKAN COUNTRIES

ROME, JULY 28 /SRNA – RIA Novosti/ - Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that Ukraine should not be given priority over Western Balkan countries on the path towards EU membership.

Speaking at a meeting of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Tajani said that Italy would continue to support Ukraine’s accession to the EU, provided that the necessary criteria are met.

"However, we cannot allow Ukraine to gain an advantage while Western Balkan countries are being neglected," Tajani stressed.

Serbia, BiH, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania are the Western Balkan countries that are official candidates for EU membership. All except BiH have been waiting to join for more than a decade.

Ukraine and Moldova were granted candidate status in June 2022, a move that EU officials acknowledge was largely symbolic, aimed at supporting them in their conflict with Russia.