(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 26 - "The Western Balkans are an essential component of the EU's security and future, and their full integration represents a geopolitical investment in the common interest. Italy will remain a credible, coherent, and consistently present partner in this region, with a strategic vision and European spirit, contributing to a stronger, more cohesive, and more secure Union." This was stated by Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Maria Tripodi during a conference organised by the Einaudi Foundation's South-East Europe Observatory on the European perspective of the Western Balkans. (ANSA).