The Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, opened the G7 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Pescara today with a Humanitarian Conference on the Middle East.
“The objective of the Italian G7 Presidency is to strengthen coordination for joint action in order to facilitate access to humanitarian aid in Lebanon and Gaza,” said Tajani, also highlighting the role of the “Food for Gaza” initiative, as launched by the Minister himself last spring.
“Today, we have brought together representatives from Lebanon, Palestine and Israel for the first time and enabled them to interact with the G7 countries and the main international organisations involved in humanitarian assistance,” said Tajani. “Italy is at the forefront in ensuring the delivery of aid to the civilian population in the Middle East. To this end, I have just announced further financial contributions from our Cooperation and the forthcoming dispatch of food and medical aid to Gaza by means of Italian trucks, which will leave from the port of Genoa by ship,” the Minister added.
“Only through dialogue will it be possible to achieve our objectives – an end to hostilities, the freeing of hostages and the stabilisation of the region.”
On the sidelines of the Conference, Minister Tajani had a bilateral meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Bou Habib, to whom he reaffirmed Italy’s support for the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 and the urgency of reaching a ceasefire along the Blue Line. “Italy is among the main contributors to the UNIFIL mission, which continues to play a fundamental stabilisation role in the area,” the Minister pointed out, adding that “the Italian government will continue to assist the Lebanese people in the face of the humanitarian emergency they are going through, all while promoting peace in the region.”
