It is no secret that the latest meetings of the EU Foreign Affairs Council have revealed divisions on major issues concerning development in the region. These are complex situations, analysis of which cannot rule out divergence a priori. But today there was a common feeling that we are going to have to recuperate a collegiality and shared intent in making decisions.
In that spirit, what prevailed was the unanimous response that terrorist attacks on EU soil must not be allowed to pass in silence and in the absence of reaction. It was this common conviction that led to agreement on the listing of the military wing of Hezbollah.
Concern remains for the especially complex situation in Lebanon, an important nation for Italy, where we have been engaged at length with our UNIFIL contingent. The declaration adopted by the Council and the Commission today acknowledges the determination to pursue political contacts, including with Hezbollah, and economic support for all the country’s actors. This is certainly the case with Italy.
