\u201cPeople peddling demagoguery against the migrants are not solving anything. And luckily most Italians aren\u2019t being taken in by them. But I don\u2019t want to get into political arguments\u201d. On the day when the photos of the \u2018dots in the sea\u2019 are hitting the front pages of the international press after the umpteenth disaster in the Channel of Sicily, with hundreds of human beings drowned, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni underscores: \u201cWe have sent the world an image of people who, in spite of the difficulties, are taking on the task of rescuing those in need. On our Schengen borders we\u2019re witnessing scenes that are a monument to self-interest\u201d.<\/p>\n
Minister, has the EU made any progress on the immigration front?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cYes, but Europe\u2019s response still falls far short of what its own standards of civilisation would require\u201d.<\/p>\n Can the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) mission to combat the people trafficking be a first step to resolving the chaos in the Mediterranean?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe need to be clear that there\u2019s no imminent military mission in Libya. We\u2019re focusing on the internal political dynamics. The naval mission has a limited goal: that of combating and neutralising the trafficking in human beings. A traffic that is causing migrants to die in the Mediterranean\u201d.<\/p>\n What\u2019s needed, in addition to EU action?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe need to see progress in the negotiations by the Libyans. The agreement signed in Morocco on 12 July by the Tobruk parliament and the Misurata and Zintan elements, and the municipalities in the Tripoli region, is a good start. It should convince the General National Congress (GNC) to take part. In Algiers I told the GNC president, Nouri Abusahmain: \u2018without you, the agreement will be weaker, but don\u2019t think that your absence will prevent it\u2019. Next week the UN envoy, Bernardino Leon, will reconvene the talks to examine the annexes to the agreement. I hope the GNC decides to take part\u201d.<\/p>\n Returning to the migrants, is the EU ready to play its part in terms of reception measures?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAny Community dimension that exists to addressing the immigration problem is undoubtedly Italian in origin. And we must claim the merit for that. After the tragedy at sea 5 months ago, Renzi called for an extraordinary EU summit and a European immigration agenda was drawn up. That gave rise to the joint operations we\u2019ve seen in recent months and the relocation of 32,000 migrants. Of course, all of this comes nowhere near matching the extent of the problem. From Calais to Ventimiglia, we risk seeing tensions between major European countries over the transit of just a few hundred people\u201d.<\/p>\n What else can Europe do?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe are well aware that the only successful measures over the long-term are measures that help the migrants\u2019 countries of origin. But we need a common effort in terms of receiving them. At the European level, we need to reiterate that what is affecting Italy and Greece today could involve other countries in the north of the Union tomorrow. Suffice to think of the Ukrainian crisis to grasp that. Closing our eyes or, worse, building walls is not a fitting response for the European Union\u201d.<\/p>\n You\u2019re just back from a mission to Tehran. How would you sum it up?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOver the coming months and years it will be in the West\u2019s interest to place its bets on Iran. The 14 July agreement is not just about monitoring Tehran\u2019s nuclear programme. It\u2019s also about recognising a country of Iran\u2019s importance to the political and economic dimension of the region. In the immediate term the acceptance of the agreement in different forms in the USA and in Iran itself will be decisive. Between December and January the main sanctions will be withdrawn: important opportunities are opening up on the economic front. Just a few years ago Italy had trade worth 7 billion euro with Iran and we were the country\u2019s leading commercial partner. Today, trade is worth just 1.5 billion. But you don\u2019t cancel out relations that have sixty years of history behind them. The agreements are being drawn up, with one by FATA, from the Finmeccanica group, already complete. SACE has signed a dispute resolution agreement enabling credit worth up to 3 billion euro to resume, and ENI has almost resolved the on-going disputes in which it is involved. Moreover, Iran appreciated the format of our visit, with politics running parallel with business\u201d.<\/p>\n Why is Italy, which has always enjoyed this relationship with Iran, not part of the 5+1 grouping?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAbout 12 years ago the government decided not to take part. I think that was an error, but it didn\u2019t prevent Italy from playing a diplomatic role. Our country doesn\u2019t have a hidden political agenda or desire for hegemony. Italy has a strong propensity for trade and commerce, and is a cultural superpower. That enables us to achieve 2 results. One is to reassure the countries in the region, with which we have excellent relations, on the implementation of the agreement \u2013 I\u2019m thinking here of Israel and Saudi Arabia. And the other is to seek, together, to involve Iran in regional dossiers such as Syria or Lebanon. Tehran could have an important role to play in combating terrorism\u201d.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve just met your Saudi colleague. A number of commentators have accused Riyadh of supporting radical Islam and terrorism perpetrated by Da\u2019esh, the so-called Islamic State. What do you think? <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cSaudi Arabia definitely does not sponsor terrorism. On the contrary, it\u2019s a target for action by Da\u2019esh. Within Sunni Islam a mortal conflict is being waged between Da\u2019esh and the Al Qaeda movements on the one hand and, on the other, the governments of the countries who act as custodians of the holy places. Economic relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia are excellent, as is collaboration on the various regional crises. All of this will be discussed again during the Prime Minister\u2019s forthcoming visit to Riyadh\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cPeople peddling demagoguery against the migrants are not solving anything. And luckily most Italians aren\u2019t being taken in by them. But I don\u2019t want to get into political arguments\u201d. 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