The European Union must begin accession talks with candidate states Albania and North Macedonia and "aim for tangible progress" in its negotiations with Serbia, Italy said on Monday.
"It's essential to unblock negotiating frameworks with Albania and North Macedonia and "aim for tangible progress" in negotiations with Serbia at the intergovernmental conference at the end of June," Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio stated.
Italy has recently released a blueprint supported by 11 "like-minded" partners that aims to give fresh impetus to the accession process, Di Maio told a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.
Di Maio denied that Italy and the other 11 countries that back the blueprint want to "dilute" the reforms that the Balkan nations must carry out to join the EU.
"We consider it crucial to obtain the implementation of these reforms by offering EU membership prospects and by meticulous scrutiny during the negotiation process," Di Maio concluded.
European Council agreed to open accession talks with both Albania and North Macedonia in March 2020, the European Council agreed to open accession talks with both Albania and North Macedonia, but persistent opposition from Bulgaria has so far prevented the diplomatic breakthrough from becoming a reality.
