(Adnkronos) – Italy is promoting greater strategic cooperation with Gulf partners at all levels, foreign minister Antonio Tajani told a meeting of Nato foreign ministers, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar on Tuesday which focused on security in the region and the possibility of strengthening its partnerships with the military alliance, said a foreign ministry statement.
Recalling the need to refocus attention on Nato’s southern flank, Tajani confirmed that Italy is pushing for more strategic cooperation with Gulf partners: from maritime security to critical raw materials and strategic corridors such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor trans-continental trade corridior (IMEC) – a topic which Tajani looked at on Monday with the Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general, said the statement.
Tajani highlighted the importance of the Nati-Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Regional Center in Kuwait, which he said needs to be reinforced. Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar are ICI partners.
As part of initiatives to boost ties with the region, Nato recently opened a liaison office in Amman (Jordan), which is housed within the Italian embassy, the stratement noted.
Tajani also focused on Italy’s support for Lebanon and the upcoming United States brokered peace negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, which will be hosted in Rome, thanking the Gulf countries for their contribution to mediation efforts, the statement concluded.
