Rome Reaffirms Support for Serbia's EU Path as Economic Ties Strengthen During Minister Ciriani’s Belgrade Visit

The Serbian capital, Belgrade, served as the focal point for high-level diplomatic activity during the visit of Luca Ciriani, Italy's Minister for Relations with Parliament, spanning November 6 and 7, 2025. This significant two-day mission was strategically designed to achieve two primary goals. Firstly, it aimed to unequivocally confirm Italy's steadfast and enduring political backing for Serbia's strategic ambition to secure full membership within the European Union. Secondly, the visit provided a crucial platform to showcase the robust momentum and dynamic growth characterizing the bilateral economic relationship shared by the two nations, emphasizing mutual benefit and deepening partnership.

Minister Ciriani’s comprehensive itinerary was meticulously planned to solidify partnership across the entire spectrum of Serbian governance. The initial day, November 6, included a productive meeting with Jovan Palalić, who currently heads the influential Italo-Serbian Parliamentary Friendship Group. Later that evening, the Minister attended a formal reception hosted by the Italian Embassy, held in observance of the Day of National Unity and the Armed Forces. The diplomatic highlight of the trip occurred on November 7, featuring crucial talks with key cabinet members: Foreign Minister Marko Djulić and Minister for European Integration Nemanja Starović. Perhaps the most pivotal engagement was the audience granted by the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. During this high-stakes discussion, the Italian side made it abundantly clear that Rome views unwavering support for Serbia’s European integration process as an absolute and unconditional priority in its foreign policy agenda. Furthermore, demonstrating a commitment to cooperation at the legislative level, Minister Ciriani also held constructive discussions with Ana Brnabić, the President of the National Assembly, underscoring the comprehensive nature of the bilateral dialogue.

The strength of the economic ties between Italy and Serbia remains a cornerstone of their partnership, evidenced by impressive trade figures. Minister Ciriani formally acknowledged that the total trade turnover between the two countries has recently reached a substantial benchmark of 4.5 billion euros. This figure solidifies Italy’s crucial standing as Serbia’s third most significant trading partner globally. A detailed analysis of commercial data provided by the Italian Embassy in Belgrade for the calendar year 2024 offers further insight into these dynamics. Serbian imports originating from Italy experienced a healthy 3.3% increase, climbing to 2.77 billion euros. Conversely, Serbian exports directed towards Italy amounted to 1.69 billion euros, recording a modest contraction of 4.4% compared to the previous period. Crucially, the continued and expanding operational presence of major Italian corporate entities within Serbia—including institutional structures such as Cdp, Sace, and Simest—provides a reliable and robust foundation for sustained economic convergence and future investment.

Looking ahead, Italy is actively throwing its weight behind Serbia’s major strategic initiatives. Rome has officially signaled its readiness to participate fully in the international exhibition EXPO 2027, which is slated to be hosted near Belgrade. Italian representatives also expressed strong confidence in Serbia’s capacity to address any challenges or areas for improvement highlighted in the European Commission's annual report, positioning Serbia as both an attentive partner and a reliable ally in regional stability. Moreover, the strategic partnership extends into the realm of advanced technology. A significant element of this broader European framework involves the planned integration of Serbia into cutting-edge EU technological ecosystems. This includes securing access to European supercomputers through the "AI Factory Antennas" initiative, a development projected to take shape between 2025 and 2026. Such technological collaboration emphatically underscores the deep importance of this partnership within the wider European architectural context.