(Adnkronos) – Foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday reaffirmed the Italy’s “strong” commitment to “democracy, freedom and the rule of law throughout Latin America – a crucial part of the West” – rejecting “extremist” governments such as Nicaragua’s and underlining “the Christian and democratic values” which the continent shares with Europe.
“We are here in Madrid, at this important summit with our Latin American brothers and sisters, to reaffirm the Italian Government’s strong stance in favour of democracy, freedom and the rule of law throughout Latin America,” Tajani told the centre-right European People’s Party’s ‘Libertas Forum’ in Spain’s capital.
“Let me be clear. We have absolutely nothing in common with the views of extremist governments such as that of Nicaragua, a country that still harbours dangerous terrorists from the Red Brigades, such as Alessio Casimirri, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Italy,” Tajani stated, outlining Italy’s commitment to the region.
“We want to step up our efforts so that freedom may spread throughout the Latin American continent, which is united with Europe by our shared Christian and democratic values,” Tajani continued.
“Latin America is a crucial part of the West. The Italian government will be committed to this struggle for freedom and democracy, and for an ever-closer relationship between Europe and Latin America,” Tajani concluded.
Heads of government, ministers, political leaders and civil society representatives from Europe and Latin America are guests at the ‘Libertas Forum’, organised by the EPP as part of celebrations marking the party’s 50th anniversary, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Opened by EPP president Manfred Weber, the forum brings together over 60 parties from 42 countries across the Euroepan Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, with speakers including Spanish People’s Party president Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Portuguese premier Luis Montenegro, Peru’s newly elected president Keiko Fujimori, Dominican Republic vice-president Raquel Pena, and Belgium’s deputy prime minister, Vincent Van Peteghem, the statement continued.
Leaders and prominent figures from the democratic opposition movements in Venezuela (Nobel peace prize winner Maria Corina Machado), Cuba (Jose Daniel Ferrer and Rosa Marra Paya) and Nicaragua (Juan Sebastian Chamorro) were also set to attend the meeting, the statement said.
