Top Italian officials receive visiting Serbian president

Top Italian officials receive visiting Serbian president

After the meeting, Gentiloni said that good relations between Italy and Serbia should be used to improve the situation in the region.

"There's no need to confirm the fact that our two states are good friends, with excellent economic and political ties. This relationship should be used to improve the situation in the region," he said.

According to the Serbian president's press office, Vucic and Gentiloni discussed bilateral relations, economic ties and the regional situation, as well as the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, regional relations and opportunities to step up the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU,.

Vucic said that Italy was one of Serbia's best trade partners, hoping that more Italian investors and tourists would come to Serbia, and thanked Italy for its support to Serbia's EU accession, and for the active role by the Italian government in the organization of the Western Balkans Summit in Trieste, two weeks ago.

Vucic briefed the Italian PM on the economic reforms the Serbian government had carried out over the past two years.

While in Rome, Vucic also met with his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella, on whose invitation he traveled to Rome.

Tanjug said in its report ahead of the meetings that the trip was "one in a series of meetings that Vucic has organized with world, European, and regional leaders since becoming president, in order to achieve his ambitious agenda of the country's political and economic progress and accelerated path toward EU membership."

Economic relations between the two countries are expected to be one of the main topics during the meetings in Rome on Tuesday, considering that Italy is among Serbia's top trade partners, and is one of the biggest investors in the country.

In an interview to Italy's Ansa agency ahead of the visit, cited by Beta, Vucic said that Italy could play an important role in the Balkans, supporting initiatives to strengthen further close ties between the two states.

"Italy understands relations in the Balkans very well, including relations between Serbs and Albanians, Serbs and Croats, between all the nations in the region," Vucic said, adding that he would "ask Italian officials for advice on how to attract foreign investment, and motivate the citizens of Serbia to support the country's EU accession."