Italy looks for faster integration of Western Balkans

TIRANA, April 7 – At the EU-US foreign ministers meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini presented Italy’s eight points plan to accelerate the Euro-Atlantic integration of Western Balkan countries.
One of the main topics which was also so happily welcomed and hailed in Albania was urging the European Union to make free the visa regime for these countries.
Italy said it wished the report by the EU Commission on the visa free regime for each country in the region would be ready by the end of May and entry into force as early as possible.
Rome urged the EU Commission to start preparations of its technical report on the accession application of Montenegro by the end of May, a move that very likely would be followed by Albania and Serbia.
Albania has made it clear it is to apply for the candidate status by the end of the Czech presidency in late June.
There have been many calls from different EU officials, including the EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn that Tirana first should take good care of holding free and fair elections in June 28.
But for the moment Tirana also seems promoted by the fact that it became a NATO member country last week. There are also voices that the candidate status request from Tirana may be made this month.
One may wonder why Italy is so interested in promoting faster integration of the Western Balkans into the bloc. The answer may be very clear: because they all border Italy and the first effects, be they negative or positive, directly influence the Italian peninsula.
Italy is also probably the biggest investor as a separate country in the area. It has many businesses and would likely try to further extend their investments.
Italy also has hundreds of thousands, if not millions of immigrants coming from the area.
Italy also urged the EU to accept Croatia as a full member by 2010 supporting the EC road-map. Italy also called for greater European effectiveness of its action in Bosnia-Herzegovina, especially by strengthening the representative’s role.
Italy also urged faster steps with Serbia, which also asked to fully cooperate with ICTY. It also urged faster efforts over the name of “Macedonia” in order to start negotiations for EU accession and allow its entry into NATO.
Italy stressed the importance of support for Kosovo. “Together in, together out” should be the guiding principle of the civilian and military presence of the international community.
Italy also asked for holding an EU-Western Balkan Summit, including the US, in the first half of 2010.