(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 2 - "Several so-called Balkan countries are now under the negative influence of Russia and China," and "by spreading liberal thought and the pro-European ideal, we are creating a counterbalance, which I believe is necessary for the future of Europe," said Andrea Cangini, secretary general of the Einaudi Foundation and director of the South East Europe Observatory (SEE), speaking at the presentation of the SEE Observatory at the Prefecture in Trieste. "We must absolutely push the European institutions to expedite the accession processes of the so-called Balkan states that are not yet members of the Union. Otherwise, with each passing month, we risk seeing them increasingly align with authoritarian empires that do not wish us well. he added. (ANSA).