ROME/ISTANBUL

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for "strong security guarantees" in Ukraine and expressed "gratitude" to Ankara for holding Moscow-Kyiv peace talks in Türkiye.

"The future of Ukraine will depend first and foremost on a just peace and on strong security guarantees, but also on reconstruction to address the devastation caused by the conflict," Tajani said in a written statement sent to Anadolu before attending the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Antalya, Türkiye.

He expressed his "gratitude" to Türkiye for its mediation efforts and "hope" that Russian President Vladimir Putin will listen to the voices for peace.

"In light of Ukraine’s willingness, it is clear that if the (Russia-Ukraine) meeting does not take place or does not produce concrete results, it will once again demonstrate that Russia is not seeking peace but merely trying to buy time," Tajani noted.

He also mentioned the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference to be held in Rome on July 10-11 with the participation of heads of government, underlining its "cruciality" in demonstrating Italy's role in supporting Kyiv and its people.

"The Antalya meeting will be an opportunity to reaffirm our common commitment to strengthening the Atlantic Alliance and its 360-degree security concept, in view of the June Hague Summit," he further said.

Tajani reaffirmed that better allocation of resources and responding effectively to the growing security challenges would be discussed during the Antalya meeting.

"We must strengthen our capabilities by improving synergies between our industries, also with a view to new investments," he added.

Situation in Gaza is 'unjustifiable'

Asked about the situation in Gaza and putting further pressure on Israel, Tajani expressed Italy's "deep concern."

"Italy has always had a very clear position in expressing deep concern over the severe human cost being borne by the Palestinian civilian population as a result of the conflict. This situation is unjustifiable, which is why we urge Israel to respect international humanitarian law," he noted, reiterating the "urgent need" to achieve a ceasefire.

'Excellent ties' with Türkiye

Tajani also reaffirmed Italy's "excellent ties" with Türkiye, following the recent phone talk between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"The fourth intergovernmental summit held in Rome on April 29 was a great success, confirming the vitality and depth of the relations between Italy and Türkiye. ... This is a relationship structured around major global and regional issues, starting with our shared commitment to combat illegal immigration," he noted.

Tajani further noted the significance of cooperation in the trade and defense sectors.

"In the coming months, we will work to further deepen our relations across the board, including in academic and research exchanges, where Turkish students are a valuable asset to our university system," he added.