The Adriatic and Ionian Initiative (AII) welcomes the Ministerial Meeting of the Friends of the Western Balkans Group, hosted by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, in Rome on 10 July. The meeting brought together the Foreign Ministers of Italy, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia and, for the first time, Hungary, together with the Ministers of the six Western Balkan partners, reaffirming the strategic importance of EU enlargement and the commitment to advancing the European integration of the region. The adoption of the Rome Charter represents an important political signal in support of a credible, merit-based and inclusive enlargement process, reaffirming the principles of equal membership, the absence of additional accession conditions and a tailored approach for each candidate country. The AII strongly supports this renewed political momentum towards the European integration of the Western Balkans, a region that has always been at the core of the Initiative's mission. The emphasis placed on regional connectivity, infrastructure, energy cooperation, food security and institutional capacity building is fully consistent with the AII's long-standing commitment to fostering regional cooperation, stability and sustainable development across the Adriatic-Ionian area. The AII remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen dialogue, cooperation and European integration, working alongside its Participating Countries and institutional partners to contribute to a more connected, resilient and united South-East Europe.