(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 12 - "The Czech Republic serves as a bridge between those who are already members of the Union and those who want to join," said the Secretary General of the Central European Initiative (CEI), Franco Dal Mas, during a meeting in Prague with the Secretary of State of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Radek Rubeš. "Enlargement is a precise political choice: it is an instrument of peace, stability, and prosperity," he noted. The meeting focused on regional cooperation, European integration of candidate countries, and support for Ukraine, as well as the strategic role of ports like Trieste as an energy hub for Central Europe. Furthermore, the TAL-PLUS project to improve the transalpine oil pipeline aims to ensure stable and independent access to crude oil, reducing reliance on Russian supplies, it was stated during the meeting. (ANSA).