(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 21 - "Italy wants to be more present in the Balkans. It is a political choice: to return to a greater presence in Serbia and the entire Balkan area, a part of Europe where friends live, people with whom we want to cooperate. The Balkans play a strategic role but must also feel loved and appreciated by countries, especially neighboring ones such as Italy." Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said while opening the Italian-Serbian Business Forum in Belgrade after a bilateral meeting with President Aleksandar Vucic.

"Italy is an industrial country, the second largest industrial economy in the EU, we have 4 million SMEs, and we believe we can export our know-how, our products. We believe that we have to internationalize our companies. We must do it in friendly countries where we can also create joint ventures, joint Serbian and Italian companies that can create growth and prosperity in both countries but also strengthen Serbia's candidacy for EU membership," the minister explained in front of 300 businessmen from the two countries gathered at the Serbia Palace. Tajani proposed organizing a start-up festival and announced that the following Italian-Serbian business forum would take place in Trieste next year. (ANSA).