Italy will be an observer at Board of Peace meeting says Tajani

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 17 - Italy will be an observer at Thursday's inaugural meeting of United States President Donald Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Tuesday saying that not doing so would go against the Italian Constitution which repudiates war. "Italy's absence from a discussion of peace in the Mediterranean would not only be politically incomprehensible, but also contrary to the letter and spirit of Article 11 of our Constitution, which establishes the rejection of war as a means of resolving disputes," said Tajani, who is also deputy premier, in a briefing in the Lower House, reiterating that "the government has deemed it appropriate to accept the US administration's invitation to attend, as an observer, the first meeting of the Board of Peace," "certainly a balanced solution and respectful of our constitutional constraints." Premier Giorgia Meloni has delegated Tajani to attend the meeting in the US capital. The foreign minister also told the House that Rome had conveyed to Washington the need to respect the article of the Italian Constitution that lays down that Italy can only join international bodies if it on a par with all other members. He said Italy would be an observer at the Board in order to ensure a leading role for Gaza, saying Rome's goal was to create the conditions for two states in the Middle East, Israel and Palestine. Tajani also noted that the European Union had, like Italy, confirmed its participation in the Washington meeting as an observer. The foreign minister also said that the Italian government condemns all attempts to annex the West Bank after Israel gave a license to settlers to do just that. Regarding its presence on the Gaza Peace Board, Tajani said, "in every contact with the American administration, we have always emphasized the need to ensure strict compliance with the principles of our Constitution and the involvement of Parliament. "I myself have done so several times with Secretary of State Rubio during our frequent meetings." Italy's absence from the first meeting of the Peace Board "would mean denying the leading role our country has played in the ceasefire since the beginning of the crisis, always with the goal of achieving two states living together in peace and security." "The European Union has already confirmed its participation with the rotating Presidency of the Council and a representative of the Commission," Tajani said. "All the region's main partners will also participate. I'm thinking of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar. "Even Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world. "How could Italy not be present where peace is being discussed and built in the Middle East, in the presence of all the main regional players?" the minister added. "The European Union has already confirmed its participation with the rotating Presidency of the Council and a representative of the Commission. "The violence in the Holy Land must end. "This also applies to extremist settlers, whose attacks target Christian communities, which have always been guarantors of peace and dialogue in the Middle East. "We continue to forcefully urge Israel to put a stop to the settlers' actions. "The Government has condemned any suggestion of Israeli annexation of the West Bank. "These urges do not help peace builders and risk jeopardizing the two-state solution." "We are on the front lines of training the Palestinian Security Forces. "We are present within the Civil-Military Coordination Center with a team of three diplomats and eight military personnel. "The Center is committed to ensuring humanitarian assistance and essential services to the people of the Strip. "Our Carabinieri, already active in the West Bank for over ten years through the bilateral mission in Miadit, will soon begin training 50 Palestinian security officials in Jordan for deployment in the Gaza Strip." "We participate," Tajani stated, "in the European Union's EUPOL COPPS missions training the Palestinian police and in the EUBAM Rafah mission, which involves eight Carabinieri. The mission played a key role in facilitating the reopening of the crossing. "We will strengthen our presence in the coming weeks." Trump's board is aimed at initially cementing peace and reconstruction in Gaza and then achieving peace in all other conflicts around the world. Critics have said the American president is trying to supplant the United Nations. The 20 members of the board, on which Trump is life chair with veto powers, and who have paid one billion euros to join, include Argentina, Albania, Kosovo, Cyprus, Hungary, and Romania, while Russia is reportedly still weighing a possible option to join. The Italian centre-left opposition on has accused Meloni, who is a friend of Trump's and the only EU leader to attend his inauguration, of being too compliant with the American president. Democratic Party (PD) foreign affairs pointman Beppe Provenzano said that for Meloni, loyalty to Trump comes before loyalty to fundamental constitutional principles. "Italy's participation, even as an observer, in the Peace Board is an act of subordination to Trump and a break with our diplomatic tradition," he said. "The Board of Peace is a proprietary body, it doesn't give a voice to the Palestinians, and it is a blow to the United Nations that is incompatible with the Constitution. But for Meloni, loyalty to Trump comes before loyalty to fundamental principles." (ANSA). Read article...

By ANSA