Premier Giorgia Meloni has
requested that an Italian be appointed NATO's new special envoy
for its southern front during the summit of the leaders of
countries belonging to the alliance in Washington, Deputy
Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said.
"The creation of the NATO special envoy for the southern flank
is an important decision," Tajani said on the sidelines of the
summit.
"It is something Italy battled for and we believe it is right
that an Italian should be chosen for that role, the premier told
(NATO Secretary General-designate) Mark Rutte today.
"I think it is right given the role Italy has, including for the
number of military personnel it has on NATO missions. It would
be a recognition for our country".
Tajani also said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is
not representing the European Union on his travels, amid reports
that he was set to visit former United States President and
Republican candidate Donald Trump in Florida. Orban has also
visited Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing after Hungary took over the EU
duty presidency at the start of the month..
"Viktor Orban is the prime minister of Hungary and he does what
he deems to be most appropriate," Tajani said.
"It's not up to us to decide what he should do.
"He is not representing the European Union of course.
"I continue to say that we must not interfere in the American
electoral campaign. Transatlantic relations are one of the
lodestars of our foreign policy.
"We are friends and allies of the United States, regardless of
who was, who is, and who will be the American president".
After arriving in Washington, Meloni said that Italy will get up
to defence spending of 2% of GDP as requested by the United
States and NATO, according to its own timeframe and financial
possibilities, given budget constraints.
She said that Italy "will keep faith with its commitments" to
spend 2% of GDP on defence "obviously with the times and
possibilities that we have" and also considering "the country's
overall commitment to NATO", where we are "among the largest
contributors of personnel in almost all missions and
peacekeeping operations because our know-how is in great
demand".
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, meanwhile, signed a letter of
intent with his counterparts from France, Germany and Poland on
the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, ANSA sources
said Thursday.
The letter regards the so-called Elsa (European Long-Range
Strike Approach) plan aimed at "improving our capability, as
Europeans, to develop, produce and deliver capabilities in the
field of long-range strikes, which are sorely needed to deter
and defend our continent" ANSA has learned.
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