The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, had a fruitful telephone conversation with the Foreign Minister of Canada, Mélanie Joly.
While highlighting the excellent state of bilateral relations, Minister Tajani outlined the Italian G7 Presidency’s priorities, starting with the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine. He said: “I wanted to thank my friend Mélanie for the spirit of cooperation with which Canada looks at the agenda of the Italian G7 Presidency. Italy and Canada share a common vision on many dossiers, starting with the support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.”
During the telephone conversation, both Ministers focused on the latest developments of the situation in Gaza and agreed on the need to avoid a regionalisation of the conflict and step up the path towards a political and diplomatic solution leading to the “two Peoples, two States” solution. Minister Tajani added: “It is also important to work together now on the preparation of post-war scenarios, so as to give a concrete perspective to the players in the region and the civilian population. A future of peace and stability must be created for Gaza and for the whole region, by thinking now about the phase when hostilities end.”
Besides reaffirming the government’s increasing focus on the Indo-Pacific region, the Deputy Prime Minister offered Italian support for the Canadian vision on the Arctic: “The political attention of several countries is increasingly focused on this region of the world. The G7 under the Italian Presidency will not underestimate the strategic importance of this issue.”
He concluded: “As Italian Presidency, we intend to enhance the political and strategic nature of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meetings: faced with current international challenges, we need to strengthen the level of coordination and cohesion among partners.”