New Italian aid to the Lebanese population: Tajani at the extraordinary meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on Lebanon and Gaza

The Vice President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, participated today via videoconference in an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the European Union focused on latest developments in the Middle East.

Tajani summarized his position in 5 main points: new humanitarian aid to the Lebanese population; possibility of coordinated evacuation of Italian and European citizens from Lebanon; support and possible strengthening of the UNIFIL mission, in response to the request made to Israel for protection for UN soldiers; confirmation of the request for a ceasefire and support for a political agreement for the election of the new president in Lebanon.

The Minister confirmed the Italian Government's strong concern for the consequences of the conflict in progress on the population: "Italy is on the front line to alleviate the suffering of civilians. In addition to the initiatives in favor of the Palestinian population, we have allocated another 17 million euros to respond to the needs of the displaced population". The Vice President of the Council has decided to activate a coordination initiative at the Farnesina for aid to Lebanon extended to Italian civil society.

Tajani then reported to his EU colleagues what emerged from the telephone conversation with the Israeli Foreign Minister Katz, in particular with the request to respect the role and safety of the UN military personnel engaged in the UNIFIL mission on the border between Israel and Lebanon. The Minister recalled that "Italy's diplomatic and military commitment to the stability of Lebanon will continue and Italy is ready to strengthen its support for the UNIFIL mission".

Tajani indicated how “the ceasefire and the restoration of calm along the Blue Line are crucial: at the G7 meeting in New York last week, we invited the parties to fully implement Security Council Resolution 1701”.

According to Tajani, the EU must to promote a political turning point in Lebanon to resolve the political crisis that has been preventing the election of the President of the Lebanese Republic for months and, consequently, allow the Lebanese Government to return to operating in full effectiveness.

With regard to the presence of Italian and European citizens in Lebanon, the Minister informed his colleagues that many Italians have already left the country but that the Government is ready to provide assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation, and suggested coordinating efforts at EU level to protect all Union citizens who may find themselves in difficulty.