The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani and the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto visited Belgrade and Pristina, to meet with the Presidents of the Republic and the Prime Ministers of Serbia and Kosovo, as well as with their respective Foreign and Defence counterparts.
Appealing to the sense of responsibility of the parties, Italy intends to encourage them to intensify dialogue to overcome the recent tensions between the two Countries, and also to boost their European perspective. The Balkans’ stability is a priority for Italy, which has always worked for security and peace in the region, also by participating in the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) and the European Mission EULEX.
The visit to Pristina started with bilateral meetings: the Foreign Minister met his counterpart, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, and so did the Defense Minister, Armend Mehaj. Afterwards, joint meetings were held with the President of the Republic, Vjosa Osmani, and the Prime Minister, Albin Kurti. All Kosovar speakers were restated of the need for a de-escalation and Italy's availability to take responsibility for trying to define, in coordination with the EU and the maininternational partners, an exit path from the current crisis triggered by the measures on vehicle registration plates.
On the bilateral line, both Minister Tajani and Minister Crosetto reaffirmed their readiness to strengthen the political, economic and cultural collaboration between ourtwo countries.
At the end of the mission, the two Ministers visited the KFOR mission, led by the Italian General Ristuccia. The Italian contingent, located in various areas of the country, isthe largest of the international mission with over 750 units, an asset for the security and stability of the region.
