Italy wants to be bridge between new Syria, EU says Tajani

(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 10 - Italy is ready to play its part to promote a reform process in Syria and seeks to act as a bridge between the new Syria and the European Union, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a press conference in Damascus on Friday after meeting with Syrian leader Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.
    "Italy is ready to play its part to favour the process of reforms in Syria, we have an ambassador here and we want to be close to the Syrian population and to support it in all sectors.
    "We want to relaunch economic cooperation in crucial sectors.
    "We want to be a bridge between the new Syria and the EU", Tajani said.
    "We are two countries with a great history behind us", he added.
    Tajani went on to say that with the Syrian leader Jolani "we have also focused on the possibility of fighting human traffickers who are also drug traffickers", addressing the press conference in Damascus after holding the first meeting with the new Syrian leadership after the fall of Bashar Al Assad's regime. (ANSA).