Our foreign policy priorities and the role Italy intends to play to open a new stage in Europe’s foreign policy. These were the focus of Minister Mogherini’s hearing on Italy’s EU Presidency before the Chamber and Senate Foreign Affairs Committees. The priorities include a geographical region stretching from Ukraine to Russia to the Middle East to North Africa, and including Libya, that she described to the Committees as “turbulent, arduous, uncertain and unsafe”.
Kiev and Moscow the first visits for the Semester
Minister Mogherini announced that she will be visiting Kiev on Monday 7 July, and then Moscow, as her first visits of the Italian Presidency. The aim is to support the efforts of the OSCE and the European Union to resolve the crisis in Ukraine. There, the diplomatic efforts need to be intensified to obtain a ceasefire and speed up the implementation of the EU association agreements”.
Visits to Israel, Palestine, Balkans and Turkey also planned
Mogherini also announced a visit to Israel and Palestine in 10 days’ time. Italy has invited both countries to defuse the risk of reactions and counter-reactions that would only serve to obstruct the resumption of negotiations.
With a visit to the Balkans also in her diary for late July, Minister Mogherini underscored the importance of these countries’ EU integration to foster stability in the region. Preparations are also under way for a visit to Turkey during the Presidency, with the possibility,as the Minister informed the Committees,of new chapters being opened in Ankara’s EU access talks.
