Under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2042 and 2043 – reads the note from the Prime Minister’s Office at Palazzo Chigi – the Council of Ministers has authorised a peace mission to Syria by Italian military personnel. The personnel will be acting in the role of “United Nations Observers” and, as such, will be unarmed. The mission, continues the note, will include up to 17 people, with the first five arriving in Syria in the week beginning 14 May. Italy has played an active role from the outset in supporting the humanitarian mission launched by the UN under Resolutions 2042 and 2043. And it immediately made available aircraft to airlift vehicles and equipment for the observers deployed in Syria.
Prime Minister Mario Monti spoke of the Italian peace mission in Syria during a discussion with the Turkish Premier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the Italian-Turkish Summit in Villa Madama. “We wanted to exchange views on the principal crisis regions, starting with Syria, where our two countries, which are factors for stability in the Mediterranean and Middle East, are seeking a solution”.
A common line
With respect to Syria, added Monti, the European Union “has succeeded in maintaining a common line in which sanctions are a significant means of applying pressure. Now the UN Security Council, after much hesitation, is also taking steps to achieve a common effort by the international community. At the moment we do not see any realistic alternatives to this”. In the Turkish Premier’s opinion, the Security Council “should perhaps take different steps”. And as regards the observers, he underscored that 2,000-3,000 are needed.
