The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, met with the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Varsen Aghabekian, in Rome.
The meeting took place a few days after Italy signed a joint declaration with Saudi Arabia on the commitment to build a stable, peaceful and prosperous Middle East.
The current regional situation was discussed with the Palestinian Minister and Italy’s opposition to any occupation of the Gaza Strip and annexation of the West Bank, factors that severely threaten the “two peoples, two States” solution, was reaffirmed.
Minister Tajani also reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to Food For Gaza. In this context, Italy has sent over 200 tonnes of food, medical and basic necessities to the Gaza Strip. Since 7 October 2023, it has also evacuated over 1,000 Palestinians and assisted and treated over 180 minors.
Together with the Minister for Universities and Research, Anna Maria Bernini ,and the management of the respective hospitals, Ministers Tajani and Aghabekian then visited a number of Palestinian minors hospitalised at the Umberto I General Hospital , the Bambin Gesù Paediatric Hospital and the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital.
The Umberto I General Hospital treated a total of four Palestinian minors
The Bambin Gesù Paediatric Hospital treated 25 Palestinian children so far, many of whom have already been discharged. The two Ministers visited some of the children who had arrived with the latest medical evacuation on 13 August.
At the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital, which took in one of the Palestinian children who had arrived in Italy, they met a Palestinian doctor who came to Italy in June through the humanitarian corridor to carry out a postgraduate internship in Medicine and Surgery.
