Italy stands for the EU summit this week to give the green light to the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the bloc, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.

"We expressed a favourable opinion on the start of negotiations with Ukraine for EU membership," Tajani said on the sidelines of the EU foreign affairs council, ANSA agency reported.

"We noted Kyiv's decision to pass new laws for its Hungarian minority, something I had been asking for since I was president of the European Parliament,” he added.

Tajani also called for the acceleration of the accession process of the Balkan states.

"At the same time, we ask that work be done to accelerate the accession of the Balkan countries and Bosnia," the minister stressed.