In the speech he delivered at the National Assembly of Serbia, Italian President Sergio Mattarella said that “Italy is the most eager to see Serbia become a part of European family, and its support in this regard will not fail.”
Future of Serbia, as well as the one of Italy, is within Europe, because their history, culture and values put them there. This is why I asked and decided to come to Belgrade only a few months after taking over my post, Mattarella said addressing MPs at the Third Special Session, FoNet reports.
He said that thanks to significant political evolution, Serbia made its European path an absolute priority.
Complex reforms, implemented regardless of great difficulties they brought to Serbian people, as well as launch of historic dialogue aimed at normalisation of relations with Pristina, represent the most obvious and concrete example, said Mattarella, the first Italian President ever to give a speech at the National Assembly of Serbia.
According to him, there is no doubt Belgrade will succeed to meet the expectations and receive a positive answer from the EU.
We are very confident of Serbian commitment to achieve its European goal with its intense judicial reform and creation of ever stronger and efficient network with the rest of the region, Mattarella said.
He stressed that in times when Europe and the world paid utmost attention to serious crises and emergencies on Eastern EU borders and the Mediterranean, attention should also be paid to ensuring the balance which is yet to be fully achieved in the Balkans, as well as to development of democracy in Serbia.
We are convinced, Mattarella said, that Serbian integration, as well as integration of other countries in the region, is substantially dependant on the ability to overcome both age-old and modern divisions, in order to build the future of the region and stifle the hotbed of tensions, still active under the burden of the past.
He said that European path would not be simple, but that it was the only one leading to progress.
Mattarella also said that he was confident Serbia was able to take advantage of the next year and consolidate the results it had already achieved and step up the well-begun reform process.
Italy believes that strengthening the EU and topping off the EU founding fathers’ dream of political community is closely linked to completing the process of integration of the Western Balkans, said President of Italy.
Special Session was also attended by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, line ministers and representatives of diplomatic corps.
