The Italian Foreign Ministry has expressed great concern for the increasing political and diplomatic tension in the Middle East, which risks exacerbating the divisions in the Islamic world to an unsustainable level and compromising current diplomatic efforts addressed at resolving the serious crisis experienced by the region.
Italy encourages Saudi Arabia and Iran to do everything possible to reduce tension and not to embark upon an escalation that would be dangerous for all concerned, also reminding everyone how a search for solutions for the complex crises in the Middle East – primarily those in Syria and in Yemen – cannot disregard a desire for dialogue and a strategic vision from all sides, in particular the main countries in the region.
Italy believes that a first step towards a necessary reduction of the tension that has followed the execution of Imam Nimr al-Nimr, and subsequent incidents involving embassies, should consist of acknowledging that the common enemy to be fought is fundamentalist terrorism. The lack of unity among countries involved in the battle against terrorism is a serious obstacle to achieving the objective of eliminating this threat to peace and civilisation.
