Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has been in contact since Saturday morning with key international partners to discuss the situation in Israel following Hamas terrorist attacks. With U.S. Secretary of State Blinken and the other members of the Quintet (France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union), the deputy prime minister stressed the need to work in close coordination to foster de-escalation and prevent the conflict from spreading to the region, adding that "in any case Israel has the right to defend itself". The concept was reiterated in yesterday's telephone contact with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to whom was expressed the full solidarity of the Italian government and the strongest condemnation of the aggression. Tajani then shared with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry support for all diplomatic mediation initiatives, recognizing a primary role of Cairo in this regard, hoping for the possible establishment of humanitarian corridors for the release of prisoners held in Gaza, particularly children, women and the elderly. In order to continue the diplomatic action of dialogue with all partners in the Mediterranean and Middle East region, the Deputy PM will travel to Egypt on Wednesday and Thursday to meet with the country's highest authorities. Along the same lines was his conversation in the evening with Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Jordan, a country that can play a key role in the work of containing the conflict. (Photo by Olaf Kosinski)
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