Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government is using Italy’s good relations with several Arab countries to persuade them to pressure Hamas to release the hostages, with a first meeting with Jordan’s King scheduled for Monday in Rome.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein will be in Rome on Monday, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani (Forza Italia/EPP) said in an interview with RTL radio, in which he described relations with Jordan and other Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and the Emirates as “very good”.
“On the political front, relations are also strong with Egypt and Morocco, but also with Tunisia where there is the migration problem (…) Dialogue must be maintained even with countries with which we do not share policy”, Tajani said.
Meloni’s government has opened a dialogue with several Arab countries to put pressure on Hamas, with the short-term aim of agreeing to let a dozen or so people, including several Italian Palestinians, leave through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
“We are working intensively with our Consulate in Jerusalem, with our Embassy in Cairo to get our compatriots out of Gaza (…) The priority of protecting the security of the Italians is getting through”, Tajani added.
Meloni had telephoned the Jordanian King on Thursday to reaffirm Italy’s willingness to contribute to security and stability in the region. The latest developments in the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict were discussed during the call.
In her talks with the Jordanian King, Meloni called for a “rapid de-escalation” of the conflict, which she said could not be allowed to spill over into the rest of the region, and stressed Jordan’s crucial role in this context. The two leaders stressed the importance of continuing to coordinate on the evolution of the crisis in the coming days.
The two leaders met in Rome in December last year to discuss issues on the bilateral agenda in depth, particularly regarding security and defence cooperation.
Together with Tajani and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto (Fratelli d’Italia/ECR), they discussed the latest developments in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, with a particular focus on the prospects for peace between Israel and Palestine, but also on energy and water cooperation in the region.
Hamas has called for the release of Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, in return for the hostages it took during the recent attack.
(Federica Pascale | Euractiv.it)
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