Italy, Albania, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria convened today in Brindisi for a summit centered around Corridor VIII.
The summit, held at the historic “Federiciano” castle, was chaired by Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
Joining the summit were also Olta Xhaçka, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Bujar Osmani, the Macedonian Foreign Minister, and Maria Gabriel, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister.
The primary objective of the summit was to revitalize Corridor VIII, a multimodal infrastructure integrated into the European strategic transport network (TEN-T), aimed at connecting the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea.
The agenda encompassed a focused discussion on the conflict in Ukraine, the Western Balkans, migration issues, as well as the importance of greater involvement of local communities and youth. These were identified as essential factors for building trust in Balkan civil society and furthering the perspectives of integration into the European Union for countries in the region.
Following the plenary session on integration and cooperation in the 1+4 format, a joint press conference of the ministers was also held.
Tajani expressed that “through collaboration and intensified integration along Corridor VIII with Albania, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia, we aim to set an example for regional cooperation in the Balkans. This meeting will serve as a platform for political dialogue and cooperation, involving two EU member states and two candidate countries.”
He emphasized that “the Western Balkans hold strategic importance for Italy, and we have invested significantly, becoming a leading player in the region.”
During the summit, after a brief visit to the Italian Navy’s ship “San Giorgio”, Tajani and the other foreign ministers will visit the United Nations Global Service Center and the Humanitarian Support Center.
The UN base in Brindisi stands as a center of excellence, where Italy plans to continue investing due to the positive impact it creates on the local economy through its stimulated activities.
