In the face of the distressing news of the death of Giovanni Lo Porto, I wish first of all to express my sympathy for his mother and all his family.
The tragic circumstances of his killing in a region of the Punjab on the Afghan-Pakistani border make the circumstances of his death even more dramatic.
Giovanni Lo Porto was a generous and highly experienced volunteer who had been working for years in the German-based Welthungerhilfe organisation. He had worked on behalf of the weakest people in several countries, most recently in Pakistan, where he was kidnapped by a terrorist group in January 2012.
During these 3 years the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other organs of the state have made every effort to trace Giovanni Lo Porto and return him to his loved ones. The conclusion, sadly, is a different one, as a result of the tragic and fatal error made by our American allies, an error recognised by President Obama. The responsibility for the death of Giovanni and of Warren Weinstein, for which I extend my most sincere condolences, lies fully and squarely with the terrorists, against whom we confirm Italy’s commitment alongside our allies.
I wish in particular to thank the Farnesina’s Crisis Unit for their efforts over the last 3 years and for the work they are doing right now in Palermo to support the family of Giovanni Lo Porto.
