Italy Urges Int'l Community to Modify Balkan PoliciesThe international community must modify its Balkan policies or risk turning Serbia into a European equivalent of Iraq, Italian Foreign Undersecretary Umberto Ranieri warned Friday.At a meeting aimed at boosting Italian-Austrian collaboration in the Balkans, Ranieri said that the main problem in the Balkans remained Serbia, and that "without its involvement, the possibility of creating stability is uncertain." Noting that sanctions had failed in their purpose of weakening the Serbian leader's hold on power, he warned that "we can't run the risk of a new Iraq in Europe." While admitting that there were some encouraging developments in the Balkan situation, Ranieri insisted that "elements of instability and fragility are creating fresh concerns" and pushed for the swift application of projects and measures contained in the Balkan Stability Pact. |
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