Kallas asks EU members to confirm Di Maio as Gulf envoy

(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 15 - EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has requested to extend the mandate of former Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio as Special European Union Envoy for the Gulf region for another two years in a letter to the 27 member States, a copy of which has been viewed by ANSA.
    The request, sent on December 20, was first reported by daily newspaper Il Foglio on Wednesday.
    In the letter, Kallas proposes to extend the mandate from 1 March 2025 until 28 February 2027.
    The request was made over the "excellent performance" of Di Maio, who was appointed in 2023 as the EU's first ever special envoy to the Gulf.
    Kallas said Di Maio had contributed significantly to the progress in the cooperation between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council and played a key role in the development of regional and bilateral cooperation with Gulf countries in terms of political consultations, dialogue on security, trade and investments, green energy and interpersonal relationships.
    (ANSA).