(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani is taking part in the MED9 summit in Slovenia on Monday, where the latest events in war-shattered Gaza and the issue of European Union competitiveness are high on the agenda, said a foreign ministry statement.
As well as developments in Gaza – where on Monday Israel said a ceasefire and aid are set to resume after a day of deadly raids – the main item on the summit agenda also include strengthening the EU economy’s competitiveness, the statement said.
At the summit, Tajani will reaffirm Italy’s commitment to supporting dialogue between the peoples of the Mediterranean and a prominent role for the EU in fostering peace, stability, and development in its neighbouring countries “and the rest of the world”, according to the statement.
The summit follows last week’s MED Dialogues conference in Naples, Italy, which saw the joint attendance of Israel’s and the Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministers for the first time since the ceasefire in Gaza agreed between Israel and the enclave’s Palestinian Islamist rulers Hamas and Israel on 9 October in Egypt, the statement noted.
Slovenia’s premier Robert Golob is hosting the summit, which EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is also attending.
“Within the framework of a non-ideological approach to climate transition”, Tajani will underline Italy’s backing for a dedicated European Fund, the completion of the single market, a European defence industry, more investment in the sector, and a single capital market, the statement said.
During discussions on the EU’s 2028-2034 budget, Tajani will underscore the need for adequate attention and resources “both for the traditional pillars of European policies – starting with agriculture and cohesion – and for the challenges that place the Mediterranean countries on the front line in safeguarding the bloc’s common interests,” the statement continued.
Managing migration, energy security, and Europe’s defence are among such common interests among EU countries, the statement went on.
The MED9 summits brings together Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, and Slovenia and began in 2021, expanding Greece’s 2016 MED7 initiative with the addition of Croatia and Slovenia.
The summits aim to forge more effective and direct political cooperation between countries in the region, the statement said.
