The United States on Wednesday
warned Italy on giving China and Russia undue influence in its
economic and political activities.
Italy is a special concern after signing a memorandum of
understanding on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) or 'new
Silk Road', US National Security Council spokesman Garrett
Marquis told ANSA.
"We are warning many countries to be aware of the risks posed
by supporting the Belt and Road Initiative, especially those who
are actively seeking direct foreign investment. But Italy is a
special concern because it is a strong ally and a member of the
G7," he said.
"Pressuring Italy to sign the BRI, China seems to believe
that Italy is economically vulnerable or politically
manipulatable", he said.
Marquis also said that the US wanted Italy to watch out for
Russian interference on the eve of NATO's 70th anniversary.
"The US is counting on Italy as one of its strongest allies
and keeps communications open with a broad range of actors in
the Italian government," he said.
"We see that Russia is creating incursions in the Italian
political landscape and we strongly encourage Rome to take these
activities seriously".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
