The top goal of Italy's G7 presidency this year is to achieve peace, especially in Ukraine, and end Israel's war in Gaza with Hamas and political negotiations on a two-state solution to the long-running conflict with the Palestinians, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday.
"A just peace in Ukraine with Russia's withdrawal from the territories it has occupied and an accord in Gaza to start the political process that will lead to two states for two peoples' that recognize each other and can coexist peacefully," Tajani told daily Corriere della Sera in an interview.
"These are goals that we are working on vigorously," Tajani underlined.
Tajani also highlighted the importance of Saudi Arabia in conflict resolution efforts, also in Africa.
"It is a crucial country in the Gulf, in the Middle East and in Africa and a key interlocutor to build peace in the most challenging regions of the world," he said.
Tajani's talks with European and Arab ministers on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh on Monday were aimed kick-starting talks on a ceasefire and the liberation of Israeli hostages held in Gaza in order to get aid into the blockaded enclave, he said.
"We are currently pressuring both sides to reach an agreement...indirect talks between Israel and Hamas could be a turning-point," said Tajani.
Turning to Russia's transfer on Friday of a subsidiary of Italian heating firm Ariston to state-controlled energy giant Gazprom, Tajani underlined that the move was "unacceptable".
"I had the foreign ministry secretary-general summon Russia's ambassador to oppose a decision that we consider unacceptable," Tajani stated.
"We must make Russia understand that causing damage to Italian work in their country is self-harm and damage that further reduces their credibility in the world," Tajani concluded.
Moscow claims the nationalisation of Ariston Rus and a local subsidiary of Bosch-Siemens BSH Hausgerate GmbH group is in retaliation for the West's freezing of 300 billion dollars of Russia's central bank assets.
