(Adnkronos) – Italy’s government is keeping up “very close co-ordination with” the administration of United States president Donald Trump and will always support diplomacy to end the current war with Iran and other conflicts, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday.
“Italy maintains very close co-ordination with the United States,” Tajani told state-run United Arab Emirates daily The National, praising the UAE’s “restrained and measured” response to Iran’s drone and missile attacks launched at Gulf states and elswhere in the Middle East after the US and Israe began attacks on Iran in late February.
“Along with other allies, we are contributing to discussions aimed at preserving regional stability and safeguarding international security,” Tajani said.
“I had a phone call with (US) secretary of state (Marco) Rubio a few days ago to discuss developments on the ground and the economic implications of this crisis,” he continued.
Italy is following developments in the Middle East “with deep concern,” Tajani underlined.
“Iran has unlawfully attacked neighbouring countries, which had declared that they would never allow the use of their territory to conduct military strikes,” he said.
Tajani praised Emirati authorities for the “swift assistance” they gave to Italian citizens caught up in Iran’s attacks, including some 20,000 residents, tourists and other Italians in transit.
Italy is among UAE allies who have come to its aid since the start of the war with Iran by proving air-defence systems and Tajani and his UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed held talks in Rome on 5 March and followed by further phone talks.
Tajani has also convened a meeting of Arab league ambassadors in Rome as part of its efforts to de-escalate the Iran crisis, the paper recalled.
