(Adnkronos) – Italy will help train the leaders of a future Palestinian state via a “corridor” that is bringing talented Palestinian students and researchers from Gaza to its universities, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said late Thursday.
“‘We (the foreign ministry) have opened a ‘university corridor’ with (higher education minister Anna Maria) Bernini, with the aim of training in Italy the future leadership of a Palestinian state,” Tajani said at Rome’s Ciampino airport.
Tajani went to Ciampino to welcome 49 Palestinian scholarship students and researchers upon their arrival in Italy via Jordan.
“We will continue to work in this direction: owing to the commitment of many Italian universities, these young people will have the opportunity to study in Italian and English,” said Tajani.
Thanks to talks with Israel, an agreement is in place to bring other students from war-devastated Gaza to Italy, Tajani stated.
“I believe this is an important achievement that helps the people of Gaza and gives these young people, after years of suffering, destruction and death, the opportunity to receive the best education in our country,” Tajani said.
The Palestinian students are coming to Italy under the IUPALS (Italian Universities for Palestinian Students) project involving the Conference of Italian University Rectors, the higher education and foreign ministries and Italy’s Consulate General in Jerusalem.
Italy is awarding 160-170 scholarships, Bernini said on Thursday after flying to Jordan to accompany the Palestinian students to Rome.
“We do not have a paternalistic attitude. They (the Palestinian students) want to train here and then return home. This is our and their goal’,” she said.
Italy is continuing to aid sick (and injured) Palestinian children, and is working to increase availability of treatment for them in Italy and in Italian hospitals in Jordan and Egypt, according to Tajani.
