Italy: Western Balkans Could Turn Towards Russia or China Due to EU Policy.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has expressed strong support for the Western Balkan countries' applications to join the European Union, noting that otherwise the region could turn towards Russia or China.

During a visit to North Macedonia, Tajani said that the EU should "extend a helping hand to those peoples who want to be with us, Europeans".

If we do not do this, someone else will want to replace us, I mean Russia, China and other parts of the world, I mean Turkey

The minister said that Italy "is working and will work for North Macedonia to become an effective member of the European Union as soon as possible".

North Macedonia and neighboring Albania have been candidates for EU membership since 2005. They started membership negotiations with the European Union in 2022, and this process is expected to take years. Other Western Balkan countries seeking to join the EU are Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Kosovo.

Disputes with neighboring EU members delay North Macedonia's accession negotiations. A decade-long dispute with Greece over the use of the name Macedonia and the ancient heritage of the region was overcome in 2018.

But a new dispute arose with Bulgaria, also focusing on Balkan history, language, and culture.

Under pressure from Bulgaria, the EU has called on North Macedonia to amend its constitution to include a mention of the existence of an ethnic Bulgarian minority for the EU accession process to continue. In return, Bulgaria would lift its objections to North Macedonia's accession.

The previous left-centrist government in Skopje agreed to constitutional changes but failed to secure the necessary majority in parliament. The new conservative government of North Macedonia strongly opposes the proposed changes and is doing everything possible to delay them.

Source: European Pravda