Stopping, or rather “defeating” traffickers and curbing illegal immigration, financially supporting countries in the Mediterranean and Africa that take care of refugees, helping with the development of the nations from which migrants come. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosts the International Conference on Development and Migration in Rome, which she so much wanted, and once again clarifies Italy’s line, also supported by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. There is also the latter in Farnesina, where the leaders of almost all the states on the southern shore of the wider Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Gulf, the first port states of the EU and some partners from the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, the heads of European institutions and international financial institutions, arrive. “Illegal mass immigration harms everyone, except for criminal organizations that use their strength even against States, on the skin of the most fragile”, Meloni tells them, calling for “a common commitment and more collaboration to combat the networks of human traffickers”, whose criminal activity must be “defeated”.
The prime minister elevates the interlocutors to partners, guarantees that “this is above all a dialogue between equals based on mutual respect”, because “our interests are much more convergent than we sometimes recognize and we must start from a relationship based on loyalty and frankness”. Thus, «to face the challenges we face, it is essential that we work together», says Meloni, and it is convenient for everyone. “I am aware that the West has often seemed more attentive to teaching lessons than helping”, he continues, but things can change: “Our first commitment can only be to reinforce economic support to States that host large flows of refugees”, he explains, and the other priority is to establish “a broad collaboration to support development in Africa and in countries of origin, addressing the root causes that are at the origin of large migrations. On the sidelines of the conference, the Prime Minister met face to face with Tunisian President Kais Saied and other leaders. If it is possible to link aid to the North African country with respect for human rights, it should be asked “the European Union, since the agreement is between the EU and Tunisia, but Tunisia is a nation in extreme difficulty and abandoning it to its fate would have very serious consequences”, he says. As for relations with Egypt, Meloni guarantees that the case of Giulio Regeni’s death is not “an archived matter and I continue to treat it as I did with Zaki, even without talking about it with you”. ” behind which “there is only diplomacy”, thus opening the field of speculation about possible counterparts. At the end of the day, the Prime Minister met with the press, to whom he reiterated that “Italy has everything to play a leading role in the Mediterranean and in Africa”, and “the Rome Conference exceeded our expectations. Extraordinary participation and the conclusions we draw give the dimension of what we call the “Rome process”. The beginning of a strategic and inclusive platform”, to which the partners recognized an “unprecedented concrete approach”.
Most applauded the government’s initiative. “A historic event”, defines the leader of the Brothers of Italy group in the Chamber, Tommaso Foti, “which paves the way for an unprecedented foreign policy initiative desired by the government. Italy recovers its central role in the political and economic agenda of the Mediterranean”. Opposition forces are not of the same opinion. The 5 Star Movement speaks of “empty exercises in rhetoric and propaganda behind which the approach to contracted naval blockades hides” and “a reality made of handouts or worse of cuts in cooperation and development”. While the national secretary of the Italian Left, Nicola Fratoianni, comments: “There really is an abyss between the dignified appeal of Pope Francis not to ignore the tragedy of migrants dying in the desert and the Mediterranean and the banal words of Meloni, Tajani and some North African dictator steeped in rhetoric and selfishness”.
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.