Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will be in Wicklow, Ireland, today and tomorrow to attend the EU Foreign Ministers’ meeting (Gymnich).
This evening, the Minister will attend a working dinner, which will also be attended by the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Iceland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Ukraine.
During tomorrow’s session dedicated to Ukraine, Minister Tajani will reaffirm the West’s unity in supporting Ukraine and its firm condemnation of Russia’s indiscriminate attacks on the civilian population and Ukrainian infrastructure, emphasising the need to continue working towards a just and lasting peace. Particular attention will be paid to the attacks in the Black Sea and their impact on wheat exports. Italy will continue to support food security, including by identifying synergies with the ‘Rome Coalition’ on fertilisers, established within the framework of the MED9+ format, which Minister Tajani will convene once again in New York in a few weeks’ time on the occasion of the UN General Assembly.
In the discussion on the EU’s external action – focusing on the institutional framework, European foreign policy decision-making processes and the Union’s role in the multilateral system – Minister Tajani will advocate for the need to make current European institutions more effective, whilst respecting the competences of the Member States. The Foreign Minister will also highlight strengthening the European presence in Africa as a priority, including through EU missions and operations.
The session on the Middle East will focus on the main regional crises and the means to promote stability and security. Minister Tajani will reaffirm the need to foster an agreement between the United States and Iran, through diplomatic channels, to contribute to the region’s stability, and to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. In this context, Minister Tajani will highlight Italy’s contribution to the European Aspides mission. The Minister will also reaffirm Italy’s commitment to the two-state solution and to providing assistance to the people of Gaza. With specific reference to Lebanon, he will reaffirm Italy’s concern regarding the recent resurgence of attacks and its support for an agreement aimed at lasting peace, for which the strengthening of institutions – and the Lebanese armed forces, in particular – is essential. Minister Tajani will finally highlight the recent political progress in Libya and Italy’s support for the UN-brokered agreement signed on Sunday, as an important and credible step towards inclusive and transparent national elections and unified institutions.
In Wicklow, Minister Tajani will also hold a number of bilateral meetings with his European and international counterparts.”
