Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will be in Brussels today for the EU Foreign Affairs Council and will then travel to Paris to participate – on behalf of the Prime Minister – in the Summits of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition and the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine.
The Council’s works will focus primarily on the war in Ukraine, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in attendance. At the heart of the agenda will be strengthening political and sanctions pressure on Russia and support for Ukraine following the NATO Summit in Ankara. Minister Tajani will reaffirm his support for the action against the Russian shadow fleet, including in the Mediterranean, through Operation IRINI, which Italy leads. Minister Tajani will also focus on Russian threats to the national security of Member States, recalling Italy’s decision to expel two Russian officials implicated in espionage in Italy. Ample space will be devoted to the situation in the Middle East. Minister Tajani will reaffirm Italy’s support for the continuation of dialogue between the United States and Iran, the full restoration of unrestricted freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the strengthening of Operation ASPIDES in the Red Sea. The Foreign Minister will also reaffirm Italy’s commitment to dialogue between Israel and Lebanon, as well as support for Gaza and, in particular, Italy’s humanitarian response for the Palestinian population, highlighting Italy’s commitment to launching early recovery activities in the Gaza Strip.
The Foreign Affairs Council will continue its works in the afternoon with the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council High-Level Forum on Security and Defence, attended by the Ministers of Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait, the Deputy Minister of Saudi Arabia, the Ministers of State of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The Council’s works will end with a meeting of the Palestine Donors Group, attended by the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa. The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Maria Tripodi, will participate on behalf of Italy.
After his mission to Brussels, Minister Tajani will attend the Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition Summit in Paris, an international initiative to strengthen Europe’s air defence against missile threats. In addition to Italy and Ukraine, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden will also participate. Several leading European companies in the sector are also expected to participate. The Foreign Minister will then take part in the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine, where he will highlight the latter’s role in supporting Ukraine’s defence and energy resilience and in defining a solid security architecture, encouraging Europe’s participation in the negotiations and strengthening European and Euro-Atlantic coordination.
