In the letter sent to the European leaders in the eve of the EU summit in Brussels next week, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi called on the European Union to set a date for start of the negotiations for Macedonia's membership in the EU.

Italian Prime Minister Prodi has been one of the biggest supporters of rapid accession of the Balkan countries to the EU, ever since the time when he was chairman of the European Commission, the daily writes. Italy believes that "full realization of the region's European perspective is key for its final normalization and economic growth," states the letter.

The letter goes on to say that the aim of Prodi's initiative is to confirm to the Western Balkan countries that the EU wants them to be part of the Union and that they should observe the European criteria.

The Macedonian delegation led by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Gabriela Konevska-Trajkovska, which visited Rome yesterday and met with the Italian prime minister, is extremely satisfied with Italian Prime Minister Prodi's messages.