NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 24- Strongly rejecting “the idea of a Europe enslaved by anyone,” the Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani addressed today a Security Council session convened on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine. Tajani seized the opportunity and called for a “stronger, more democratic, representative and transparent United Nations,” in line with the appeal that he made yesterday in his bilateral meeting with General Assembly President, Csaba Kőrösi.
Since the end of World War II, when the United Nations were founded, “the world has changed a lot,”, said the Italian minister. The U.N. can do more to involve more countries, he added, referring to the negotiations for a Security Council reform in which Italy is engaged with the group Uniting for Consensus. The need of a reformed Council was under everybody’s eyes today, as the meeting failed to take action due to the obstructionism of Russia, the invading country, and one of the five permanent members with veto power. Another proof of the tensions in the UNSC, when a minute of silence was called in memory of “victims of the aggression”, Brazil and China didn’t stand up, but everyone stood for Russia’s request for all victims “since 2014”.
Speaking of the Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Tajani did not spare the terms, calling it “illegal,” “unjustified,” and “unacceptable”: “Not only it is a clear violation of the UN Charter and a threat to international security and stability, it’s also a cause of systematic global disruptions with multiple harmful consequences for the most vulnerable countries of the Global South.” The Italian minister revived the need for a “free zone” around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the renewal of the grain agreement, the so-called Black Sea Initiative.
“Russia’s attacks are unacceptable and must be stopped immediately, we are not against Russian citizens but in favor of democracy, freedom and international rules.”
Tajani added, calling for a “just peace” for Ukraine and the country’s independence.
Earlier today, the head of Italian diplomacy had talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They discussed the shared efforts to aid Ukraine’s self-defense and support the Ukrainian people amid Russia’s aggression. The Secretary thanked Italy for its leadership on providing a range of assistance to Ukraine, including hosting more than 173,000 Ukrainian refugees. Blinken thanked the Foreign Minister for Italy’s contributions to peace and security in Africa and the Mediterranean. Tajani invited Blinken to come to Rome to bring the US perspective to the yearly Conference of Italian Ambassadors. He also announced that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will come to the United States “before the beginning of the Summer”.
The meeting with Blinken was one of Tajani’s face-to-face meetings on the sidelines of the three-day event at the UN. The Italian Foreign Minister also met with colleagues from Spain, France, Albania, Switzerland, Georgia and representatives of Sids, the small island developing states on the front lines of climate change. (@OnuItalia)
