«The government has deemed it appropriate to accept the US administration's invitation to attend, as an observer country, the first meeting of the Board of Peace».

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced this in his remarks to the Chamber of Deputies, specifying that "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."

It was already known that this was Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's stance on the first meeting of the body created by Donald Trump; we were just waiting for official confirmation. The observer role is not formally provided for in the statute, but it is with this in mind that the US president invited Italy.

Missing the first meeting of the Peace Board, adds the Foreign Minister, "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." This "is certainly a balanced solution and respectful of our constitutional constraints."

Tajani will be in Washington on Thursday, certain that "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 temptations do not help peacebuilders and risk jeopardizing the two-state solution."

The opposition, from Avs to Azione, has united against Italy's entry in any form, something they haven't seen in several months. The issue was also addressed during the majority summit convened by the prime minister at Palazzo Chigi. The idea of flying to the United States herself was shelved, because the prime minister's participation would be excessive given his observer status. The possibility of deploying a high-ranking diplomat was also discussed, but the American cold shoulder ultimately led to the suggestion of sending the foreign minister, who is also deputy prime minister.

Moreover, according to the executive branch, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is also in favor of the Board and Italy's presence in a body that involves the entire Arab world that supports Palestine. This includes Qatar, which is reportedly considering paying the highest sum for the reconstruction of Gaza among all the Board's member states, aiming to increase its influence.

Discussions are still underway with European partners to define a common approach, although several governments have not yet announced their participation. Berlin has confirmed that Friedrich Merz will not be present. However, Cyprus, which holds the rotating EU presidency, Japan, and other G7 countries will be present, Rome emphasizes. Hungary's Viktor Orban will also be present. The EU has clarified that "he will not be a member of the Board of Peace" and, along with Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Suica, will be in the US "to participate in discussions on Gaza." However, Brussels prefers not to use the term "observer."

(Unioneonline/D)

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