(Adnkronos) – Ahead of a possible peace deal between the United States and Iran, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday suggested boosting international coordination to safeguard the flow of oil, gas and fertilisers through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
“As regards the impact of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and pending a positive development in the US–Iran impasse, the minister proposed enhancing international coordination to safeguard flows of energy and fertilisers, which are essential for the economic and social stability of Europe and Africa,” said the statement.
Tajani, his Croatian counterpart and EU Med Group rotating president Gordan Grlic-Radman and FAO director-general Qu Dongyu will on Thursday co-chair a ministerial meeting to strengthen political coordination on food security and access to fertilisers through the crucial waterway – whose closure is especially harmful for poor African countries – according to the statement.
Guests at the meeting include representatives from over 40 countries and regional and international organisations including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the League of Arab States.
Tajani held a series of meetings at the foreign ministry on Wednesday “aimed at strengthening prospects for a negotiated outcome in the (Middle East) region,” the statement noted.
On crisis-hit Lebanon, in parallel with US-mediated talks between Jerusalem and Beirut, Italy is engaging with the United Nations and countries taking part in the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission “to explore a new pathway for the country’s stabilisation,” the statement said.
Italy is looking at forms of support for peace initiatives, including strengthening the capacities of the Lebanese state and armed forces beyond the end of this year, when the UNIFIL mission is due to wrap up, the statement concluded.
