According to the Italian minister, the Balkan countries should be the first to join the EU.
“We support Ukraine’s accession, but the Balkans come first for us. We have obligations to them, and they are a priority for us,” Tajani said.
The head of the Italian Foreign Ministry said that a meeting of “Friends of the Balkans” will be held in Rome on March 3, and on April 1 he is scheduled to visit Serbia together with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful.
“We will support Ukraine, which needs to achieve progress,” Tajani emphasized.
Earlier, on January 27, the head of Ukrainian state Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine expects to join the European Union in 2027. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz objected to him. He ruled out such a scenario, pointing out that quick accession is “simply not possible” because every country that wants to join the European Union must first meet the so-called Copenhagen criteria, a process that typically takes several years.
