Italy to host meeting on 2-state solution on July 28-29

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Wednesday that Italy will host a new round of talks on Lebanon on Aug. 4, highlighting Rome’s “leading role” in the process, Anadolu reports.

“Last week, we hosted here in Rome the first negotiating session on the follow-up to the agreement, and on Aug. 4 we will host a new dialogue session,” Tajani told lawmakers, adding that the initiative was “an important achievement, the result of patient foreign policy efforts that build bridges and never erect walls.”

Speaking alongside Defense Minister Guido Crosetto before a joint meeting of Foreign Affairs and defense committees on the outcome of the NATO summit in Türkiye earlier this month, Tajani announced that Rome will host a Global Alliance meeting on the two-state solution July 28 – 29.

Tajani will co-chair the meeting with his Saudi counterpart in an effort to give new momentum to last year’s New York Declaration, according to Sky Tg24. He said the gathering would place a strong emphasis on interfaith dialogue as part of efforts to advance peace.

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Tajani also reiterated that the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and violence by occupiers are “unacceptable.”

“We continue to work at the European level to reach unanimity on proposals for sanctions against (Security) Minister (Itamar) Ben-Gvir and settlers responsible for acts of violence,” he said.

Saying that Italy has raised security spending to 2.8% of GDP, Tajani reaffirmed Rome’s commitment to reaching NATO’s 5% target in the next decade.

Crosetto said Italy must help strengthen deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank while contributing to a stronger European pillar within the alliance.

“Europe’s security is not measured only along its war-torn eastern borders, but also runs through the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Africa,” he said.

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