(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 10 - "Our memories are not meant to be a source of vengeance, recrimination, or revanchism. Strengthened by the awareness that comes from recognising the horrors of the past, we turn to the countries that emerged from the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia—which was one of the last dramatic developments of communist ideology, defeated by its own contradictions—as brotherly countries to whom we extend our hand in friendship, respect, and a sincere desire for cooperation," stated Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking at a ceremony for the Remembrance Day. "Today, Slovenia and Croatia are friends and allies. We are united in Europe by our shared values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. In this spirit, Italy continues to strongly support the Western Balkans' European integration efforts. Their full membership in the European Union is a moral choice as well as a strategic one." "Last year, Gorizia and Nova Gorica were jointly awarded the title of European Capital of Culture, the most eloquent symbol of this: two cities once separated by an impassable border are now united by a common vision and a shared destiny,." Tajani underlined. (ANSA).