20 May 2025 The participants of the meeting

20 May 2025 The participants of the meeting

Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Delegation of PFG with Italy and Holy See Meets with Italian Delegation to CEI PD

A delegation of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Italy and the Holy See in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, headed by Jovan Palalic, hosted the Italian delegation, participants in the Parliamentary Dimension of the Central European Initiative (CEI), held in Belgrade.


The officials discussed the possibilities for furthering bilateral relations between Serbia and Italy, with a particular emphasis on parliamentary cooperation, economic ties, as well as cultural and educational initiatives. They highlighted the importance of continual dialogue and mutual understanding for strengthening regional stability and the European perspective of the Western Balkans.

The Head of the PFG, Jovan Palaic, thanked Italy for its consistent support for Serbia's European integration and expressed his readiness for a more intensive exchange of experiences and good practices within multilateral formats, such as the CEI. In this regard, he stressed that the European Union must be more considerate of the Republic of Serbia’s national interests, adding that slowing down the process leads to a decline of interest among the citizens in the European community. The MP took the opportunity to thank the Italian KFOR contingent for their engagement and dedication to preserving the security of monastery Visoki Decani, emphasising that their presence represents an important act of protecting the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Serbian people in Kosovo-Metohija. Speaking about Kosovo-Metohija, Palalic highlighted the difficult position of Serbs, especially the systemic insecurity in which the Serbian community lives, stressing that persecution and ethnically motivated attacks on Serbs require a greater international response and protection of human rights.

Palalic also stressed that Italy is one of Serbia's most important trading partners and among the leading investors, which is the result of good diplomatic cooperation, which often includes the economy and investment in joint projects in industry, energy and infrastructure. He pointed out that the good relations between the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, contribute to the improvement of political and economic relations and open dialogue on regional issues.

MPs Jadranka Jovanovic and Olivera Denic, who, in addition to the Head of the PFG with Italy and the Holy See, were also in the delegation, emphasised cooperation on the cultural and educational level, stressing that the Italian Ambassador to Serbia, Luca Gori, works tirelessly to promote and establish closer ties between the two nations. They also took the opportunity to speak about the repression of the Serbian population in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija by the Kosovo administration and the ethically motivated attacks on Serbs, who fear for their survival every day.

Salvatore Caiata, head of the Italian delegation to the CEI, reiterated that Serbia will always have full support from Italy on its European path, and that he strongly advocates the acceleration of this process in the institutions of the European Union. He added that the integration of the Western Balkan countries is of exceptional importance for the EU and that the opening of Cluster 3, in their opinion, should have been started long ago. He expressed satisfaction with the visits of high-ranking officials at all levels and the high economic exchange between the two countries. Caiata also expressed understanding for Serbia's concerns regarding the security of the Serbian population in Kosovo-Metohija and hope that the conditions will be created for the establishment of communities of Serb municipalities.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the cooperation so far, and emphasised their readiness to further deepen friendly and partnership relations between the two countries.


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