L'alleanza militare tra Cina e Russia non pertiene al passato ne' al futuro: e' presente

 

China threat: Ex-US diplomat warns Sino-American rivalry could lead to all-out 'world war'

HENRY KISSINGER has warned tensions with China are "the biggest problem for the world" and grimly cautioned a war with Beijing could engulf the planet.

Taiwan: Foreign Minister warns of 'military assault' from China

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The former US Secretary of State, who served under President Richard Nixon, famously worked on the 1971 diplomatic easing between Washington and Beijing. Now, Mr Kissinger has told a forum on global issues the US and China’s tensions carry more risks than the Cold War.

Speaking to the McCain Institute's Sedona Forum, Mr Kissinger said he feared the mix of China and the US’ economic, military and technological strengths could lead to a devastating world war.

The former official said tensions with China are "the biggest problem for America, the biggest problem for the world” at the forum.

In response to the tensions between Washington and Beijing, Mr Kissinger called for relations to improve to avoid disaster.

He then told the audience: “Because if we can't solve that, then the risk is that all over the world a kind of cold war will develop between China and the United States."

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BEIJING, April 20, 2021 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asi

China news: Henry Kissinger warned tensions with Beijing are ‘the biggest problem for the world’ (Image: PA)

21 January 2020, Berlin: Henry A. Kissinger, former US Secretary of State, speaks at the award of the Henry A. Kissinger Prize to the German Chancello

China news: The former US Secretary of State stated relations must improve or else ‘all over the world a kind of cold war will develop between China and the United States’ (Image: PA)

Mr Kissinger then cited both the US and China’s advanced supply of nuclear weapons, which he said multiplied the doomsday threat posed by Russia and Washington in the 1970’s.

He added: “For the first time in human history, humanity has the capacity to extinguish itself in a finite period of time.

“We have developed the technology of a power that is beyond what anybody imagined even 70 years ago.

“And now, to the nuclear issue is added the hi-tech issue, which in the field of artificial intelligence, in its essence is based on the fact that man becomes a partner of machines and that machines can develop their own judgment.

“So in a military conflict between hi-tech powers, it’s of colossal significance.”

NOVOSIBIRSK REGION, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020: Servicemen of the Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China take part in the March of the Reco

China news: Kissinger also noted Beijing and Washington’s nuclear arsenal ‘has the capacity to extinguish (humanity) in a finite period of time’ (Image: PA)

President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress in Washington, D.C., the United States, April 28, 2021

China news: Kissinger urged Joe Biden to carry out a two=pronged approach to diplomacy with Beijing (Image: PA)

Comparing the Soviet Union’s tensions with the US between 1947 and 1991 to China, the former Secretary of State suggested Washington and Beijing’s issue are more complex.

He added: “The Soviet Union had no economic capacity. They had military technological capacity…

“China is a huge economic power in addition to being a significant military power.”

Mr Kissinger then suggested US policy to China must take a two-pronged approach, where it stands firm on US principles to demand Beijing’s respect, while maintaining a constant dialogue and finding areas of cooperation.

He told the forum: “I’m not saying that diplomacy will always lead to beneficial results.

“This is the complex task we have … Nobody has succeeded in doing it completely.”

Draghi sta per diventare El Macarron d'Italia

 

Mario Draghi on track to becoming Macron 2.0: 'Last thing Italy needs!'

MARIO DRAGHI is the "last thing Italy needs" and he is on track to becoming Emmanuel Macron 2.0, a political commentator has claimed.

ECB conference: Mario Draghi discusses policy stance

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The voice of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi is not only being heard loud and clear in Paris and Berlin, but it is also setting the agenda as the EU tried to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. Jana Puglierin, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations told the Financial Times: “Italy was always seen as the EU’s juvenile delinquent, and now it’s the model European." On Monday, Mr Draghi, the former President of the European Central Bank (ECB), will present Italy’s plans to spend €190billion (£165bn) of EU loans and grants alongside a set of structural reforms seen as critical to the entire credibility of Europe’s post-Covid recovery effort.

Mr Draghi has also announced Italy will run its largest budget deficit since the early Nineties, and has decided to increase borrowing ahead of a call from the IMF for all EU countries to do the same.

Financial markets, often worried about the size of Italy’s public debt, for now remain unconcerned — a sign of confidence in the new Prime Minister.

Moreover, previously thorny relations between Rome and Paris have suddenly blossomed, according to diplomats from both countries.

Mr Draghi holds regular calls with Mr Macron, including one last week, to discuss the pandemic and other strategic issues.

However, Thomas Fazi, journalist and author, has recently argued that Mr Draghi is actually the "last thing Italy needs" and that he is on track to becoming "Macron 2.0."

Mr Fazi believes that the notion that Italy’s problems fundamentally lay in its lack of liberalising reforms and that by embarking on said reforms the country can finally put itself on a path of growth once again is an old trope.

ctp_video, mario draghi, italy news, mario draghi latest, european union, emmanuel macron, macron news, macron latest, france, italy, recovery fund,

Mario Draghi on track to becoming Macron 2.0: 'Last thing Italy needs!' (Image: GETTY)

Unfortunately, he argued, it is completely unsupported by the data.

He wrote: "Indeed, since the early Nineties, as this recent study documents, Italy has introduced a huge number of liberalising reforms ranging from corporate governance reforms aimed at making corporate control more contestable, to privatisation of the main state-owned banks and enterprises, as well as reforms enhancing labour market flexibility and increasing product-market competition.

"Indeed, the data 'shows that Italy introduced liberalizing reforms more intensely than most other countries, especially from 1992 on, more than Germany and, especially, France'.

"Just over the past decade, Italy’s 'ease of doing business' ranking, according to the World Bank, has jumped from the 78th to the 58th position, a 20-point improvement, with no noticeable impact on growth.

"Indeed, if anything, the introduction of these reforms has coincided with the beginning of the stagnation of the Italy’s economy."

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ctp_video, mario draghi, italy news, mario draghi latest, european union, emmanuel macron, macron news, macron latest, france, italy, recovery fund,

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi (Image: GETTY)

 It is expected Mr Draghi could further push for a fiscal union – particularly given his time at the ECB.  In 2012, at the height of the eurozone crisis, Mr Draghi had already told eurozone leaders they should have accepted more transfer of powers.  During a meeting of the eurozone's central bank governing council, Mr Draghi explained that governments had to stick to tighter budgets, while reforming labour markets, increasing competition, re-balancing employment towards young people.  He said:

French President Emmanuel Macron (Image: GETTY)

Mr Fazi claimed this is not a coincidence – it has now been empirically documented that Italy’s decades-long crisis should be regarded as a crisis of "the post-Maastricht order of Italian capitalism, based upon privatisation, fiscal austerity, wage compression and the radical deregulation of labour markets, which represent the essence of the EMU macroeconomic rulebook".

He added: "Interestingly, as I explain in this article, one of the main sponsors of this 'reform regime', as far back as the early Nineties, was none other than Draghi himself.

"So the last thing Italy needs is more of the growth-killing reforms that have gotten Italy into this mess in the first place."

He concluded in his report for Brave New Europe: "All in all, Draghi is on track to becoming a Macron 2.0: at the time of his election, the French leader was eulogised by the mainstream media as a great modernising, pro-EU reformer as well; today he has one of the lowest approval ratings in Europe.

"You can gloss over reality as much as you like, but sooner or later it catches up with you."

It is expected Mr Draghi could further push for a fiscal union – particularly given his time at the ECB.

Caccia russo intercetta ricognitore USA RC-135 sul mare di Chuckchi e lo scorta indietro sul pacifico fino alla penisola del Kamchatka: bel culo!

 

Putin fury: Russian fighter jet intercepts US aircraft as Moscow eyes NATO drills

A RUSSIAN fighter jet intercepted a US aircraft amid growing tensions between Moscow and Washington.

Russia: US 'will respond to any recklessness' says Blinken

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The MiG-31 fighter escorted the US Air Force RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft over the Chukchi Sea, in the eastern border of Russia. The Chukchi Sea is a body of water between the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Strait which separates Alaska from Russia.

Russia's National Defense Control Center said in a statement the jet was scrambled to "identify the air target and prevent violation of the border of the Russian Federation".

A statement to the Russian new agency read: "The flight of the Russian fighter was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace."

Over recent weeks, Moscow has intercepted a number of US aircraft.

Last month, Russia's Defense Ministry released footage of a MiG-31 jet accompanying an RC-135 aircraft over the coast of Kamchatka in the far east of Russia.

Vladimir Putin launches jet to escort US plane

Vladimir Putin launches jet to escort US plane (Image: Getty)

The MiG-31 fighter escorted a US aircraft

The MiG-31 fighter escorted a US aircraft (Image: Getty)

Days earlier, a Russian MiG-31 fighter plane escorted the same kind of US reconnaissance aircraft over the Pacific Ocean.

Moscow has previously warned the increased reconnaissance activities near Russia posed a risk of rising tensions between the Kremlin and Washington amid concerns over a growing conflict in Ukraine.

Tensions between Moscow and Ukraine have escalated following a build-up of Russian troops along the border and clashes in eastern Ukraine between the army and pro-Russian separatists.

Earlier today, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for Russia to cease all "reckless and aggressive actions" towards Ukraine.

READ MORE: Brussels shamed as ex-diplomat tells Putin to ignore EU threats

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Image: Getty)

"We are aware that Russia has withdrawn some forces from the border... but we also see that significant forces remain there [and] significant equipment remains there," Mr Blinken said.

According to reports, British warships will sail for the Black Sea last month in a bid to show solidarity with Ukraine and Britain's NATO allies.

The Sunday Times reported one Type 45 destroyer armed with anti-aircraft missiles and an anti-submarine Type 23 frigate will leave the Royal Navy's carrier task group.

RAF F-35B Lightning stealth jets and Merlin submarine-hunting helicopters will also stand ready on HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Sassoli tirato per le orecchie dalla diplomazia russa

 

Russia bars EU officials as row escalates over Navalny sanctions

European Parliament President David Sassoli (above) said Russia's ban amounted to a political attack.
European Parliament President David Sassoli (above) said Russia's ban amounted to a political attack.PHOTO: AFP

MOSCOW (AFP) - Tensions between Russia and the European Union escalated on Friday (April 30) as Moscow barred eight EU officials from entering the country and Brussels warned it could respond in kind.

In the latest row to strain relations, Moscow said its move was a response to sanctions imposed by the European Council last month against four top Russian security officials over the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and a violent police response to protests in his support.

"The European Union continues its policy of unilateral illegitimate restrictive measures targeting Russian citizens and organisations," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Such actions by the European Union leave no doubt that their true goal is to restrain the development of our country at any cost," it added.

The EU condemned the move and warned it could respond.

"This action is unacceptable, lacks any legal justification and is entirely groundless. It targets the European Union directly, not only the individuals concerned," a joint statement from the heads of the European Council, Commission and Parliament said, adding "the EU reserves the right to take appropriate measures in response".

'Not intimidated'

In March the EU barred high-ranking officials from entering the bloc and froze their assets, including head of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin and Russia's general prosecutor Igor Krasnov.

The Russian foreign ministry's list of European officials barred from Russia include European Parliament president David Sassoli of Italy and vice-president of the European Commission for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova of the Czech Republic.

Speaking on Italian public television RAI on Friday, Sassoli said the ban amounted to a political attack.

"This means that the European Parliament has done its duty in defending fundamental freedoms in denouncing violations of the rule of law in Russia and in many countries around the world," Sassoli said.

"But we will not be intimidated: we will continue to say that Alexei Navalny must be released," he added, promising an "adequate response" from Europe.

Officials from France and Germany, as well as Baltic states Estonia and Latvia were also barred.

Moscow said its move was a response to sanctions imposed by the European Council over the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny (above). PHOTO: REUTERS

One Latvian official, Ivars Abolins, supported his country's decision to drop several Russian television channels in February.

Another official on the list, Asa Scott of the Swedish Defence Research Agency, helped confirm last year that Navalny was poisoned by the Soviet-era Novichok nerve toxin in August.

The opposition figure says the poisoning was orchestrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, a claim the Kremlin denies.

Berlin prosecutor Joerg Raupach was also on the list, as well as French MP Jacques Maire, a special rapporteur on Navalny's poisoning for the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly.

"It has no effect on my mission concerning the poisoning and imprisonment of Alexei Navalny," Maire told AFP, adding: "On the other hand, the Russians are now in a more difficult position to be able to cooperate."

Navalny's arrest on his return to Russia in January from Germany, where he had spent months recovering the poisoning, has helped plunge Moscow's relations with the West to near Cold War levels.

The European Union and the United States have imposed a series of sanctions on Russia over the poisoning and jailing of the critic.

These latest sanctions come as several Western capitals have expelled Russian diplomats - moves Russia has almost systematically answered with their own expulsions.

Navalny, 44, is serving a two-and-a-half year sentence in a penal colony outside Moscow for violating parole terms on old fraud charges that he says are politically motivated.

La UE tirata per le orecchie da Sergey Lavrov

 

EU’s response to Moscow’s pushback on sanctions shows ‘mania for impunity’ that will ‘lead to nowhere’, says Russian FM Lavrov

EU’s response to Moscow’s pushback on sanctions shows ‘mania for impunity’ that will ‘lead to nowhere’, says Russian FM Lavrov
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed recent EU complaints concerning Moscow’s retaliation against sanctions imposed on Russia, calling out officials in Brussels as being possessed by feelings of impunity.

Foreign restrictions placed on Russian citizens and entities are “groundless and illegitimate” and “will not be left unanswered,” Lavrov said during a trip to Armenia on Thursday.

In retaliation for several rounds of sanctions imposed against Russian officials, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on April 30 that it was blacklisting eight European officials, including European Parliament chief David Sassoli and European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova. Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell slammed Moscow’s declaration of the travel ban against the Europeans as “unacceptable, devoid of any legal justification and baseless.”

Lavrov said that Moscow targeted only those Europeans who “played a decisive role in yet another wave of sanctions against our officials, including lawmakers.”

When the European Union begins to threaten us with new sanctions, I begin to think that – apart from the sense of complete permissiveness and infallibility – the European Union gets possessed by the mania of total impunity.

“I believe it’s a road to nowhere,” Lavrov said. The minister pointed out that Western countries initiated the sanctions war against Moscow in 2014, when Crimea voted to leave Ukraine and rejoin Russia, following the Euromaidan revolt in Kiev.

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Russia and a number of European states have been expelling each other’s diplomats in recent months, after the Czech Republic alleged that Russian secret agents were behind two explosions at Czech ammunition depots. Moscow denies any involvement in the case.

On March 2, Brussels blacklisted four high-ranking Russian officials, including Prosecutor-General Igor Krasnov, for their role in “the arbitrary arrest, prosecution and sentencing” of opposition activist Alexey Navalny, and over “the repression of peaceful protests.” Navalny was jailed for two years and eight months in early February for violating the terms of his parole, which dates back to a 2014 fraud conviction.

Lavrov was holding talks with his Armenian counterpart Ara Ayvazyan on bilateral relations and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, where Armenia lost a bloody six-week-long war with Azerbaijan last year. He also met with the country’s Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Lavrov is set to visit Baku next week.

L'Italia ha perso un grande giurista, un grande ingegnere, un grande ministro del lavoro ed adesso sta perdendo un grandissimo ministro degli esteri che invece della politica estera italiana fa il rappresentante di commercio: se sa vendere, lasci perdere la politica - non fa per lui, e' buono solo a fare danni megagalattici

 

Expo opportunity for Italian businesses, Di Maio in Dubai

Collab on startups a winning strategy, 12,000 Italian firms

26 April, 15:52

ROME - Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, who met on Sunday with his Emirati counterpart in Abu Dhabi, sheik Abdallah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said he discussed with the minister "new opportunities we will have during this year through our Italian and Emirati companies, also thanks to the Expo of Dubai that will allow many countries to share their technologies and their culture and put together their objectives for the next 20 years".

"This morning - the minister said Monday from Dubai - I took part in a meeting with startups that, thanks to investments of the foreign ministry and ICE, today have the opportunity of seeing their innovative idea funded by the Innovation center of Dubai" and see it "also affirmed in foreign markets".

"Over the last two years, the Global Start-up Program launched by ICE has been an important element of collaboration between Italy and the United Arab Emirates. I personally promoted the Memorandum of agreement that permitted to launch this program. I am convinced that the attention to innovation, together with entrepreneurial intuition, are a winning strategy", stressed Di Maio, intervening in the Dubai Future Foundation, during his visit to the Emirates where he will also inaugurate the Italian pavilion of the Dubai Expo.

"The last report of ICE on Italian innovative startups presents very promising numbers in this sense. And I see with great satisfaction that an important component of start-uppers here is Italian. There are nearly 12,000, with an overall nominal capital exceeding 700 million euros. We have startups active in many and different sectors: services to companies, manufacturing trade", added the minister. He highlighted the "important presence of women and youths" with 42.6% including at least a businesswoman and 19% mainly managed by young entrepreneurs.

"The presence of foreign entrepreneurs is also on the rise, proving that a market of startups is increasingly integrated. I believe it is fundamental, in this sense, to favor international cooperation. We must create occasions of reciprocal exchange, especially with dynamic countries like the Emirates", also highlighted Di Maio. He said that he is "certain that our national incubators will be happy to welcome Emirati startups".

Di Maio su Cuba: Preso tra i due fuochi della diplomazia tossica USA e della diplomazia delle patate fritte di Bruxelles farebbe meglio a tacere e defilarsi

 

Foreign Minister denies alleged vote of Italy against Cuba

Rome, Mar 31 (Prensa Latina) Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio denied on Wednesday in this capital an alleged vote by his country in favor of the US blockade against Cuba in the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations (UN).

In reply to a question at a hearing during a joint session of the Foreign Affairs committees of both houses of parliament, Di Maio clarified versions released by some media on this matter.

In recent weeks, a resolution presented by non-aligned countries was voted and asked to eliminate the instrument of sanctions as such, not with respect to Cuba, but for the whole world, he explained quoted by Adnkronos News Agency.

After considering the interpretation of what happened in Geneva to be an unacceptable generalization, Di Maio said that Italy did not vote in favor of sanctions against Cuba, and he noted, 'we are very grateful to Cuba, as well as to many other countries, for the support that we received a year ago in this period.'

In that sense, the minister recalled that Italy voted against the US sanctions against Cuba in 2019, when that issue was discussed at the United Nations, for the last time.

rly/jcm/fgg

Bruxelles si accorge di essere troppo debole e ritira la mano sulle sanzioni alla Russia: Chi resta col culo scoperto e' l'idiota di Maio

 7 May, 22:05

New sanctions against Russia not on the table — source

The ministers will discuss Russia’s actions "becoming increasingly more aggressive" from the viewpoint of Brussels on May 10, the interlocutor added

BRUSSELS, May 7. /TASS/. EU foreign ministers will not discuss the possibility of new sanctions against Russia or expulsion of Russian diplomats during a meeting in Brussels on May 10, a source in the EU foreign policy service told reporters on Friday.

"Foreign ministers will not discuss new sanctions or expulsion of diplomats," the source said. The ministers will discuss Russia’s actions "becoming increasingly more aggressive" from the viewpoint of Brussels, the interlocutor added.

On April 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to apply measures (countermeasures) against unfriendly actions of foreign states. The president ruled to limit or ban, if necessary, the conclusion of employment contracts with Russian nationals by diplomatic missions and consular establishments, representative offices of government authorities and state institutions of foreign countries committing unfriendly actions against Russia. The head of state tasked the government to determine the list of unfriendly foreign states.

 


La Russia risponde vigorosamente con controsanzioni alle sanzioni delle fate bruxellesi

 

Russia’s foreign minister vows retaliation against EU sanctions

Sergey Lavrov’s comments follow meeting with his Armenian counterpart in Yerevan

Elena Teslova   | 07.05.2021
Russia’s foreign minister vows retaliation against EU sanctions Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan (not seen) during his official visit to Yerevan, Armenia on May 06, 2021. ( RUS Foreign Ministry Press Office - Anadolu Agency )

MOSCOW

Russia will retaliate against sanctions imposed by the European Union, although it considers the restrictions placed on Russian citizens and entities "a road to nowhere," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday. 

Speaking at a news conference in Yerevan following a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Ara Ayvazyan, Lavrov said the EU has introduced sanctions against Russia "without any persuasive grounds."

“We will not leave unanswered such attacks on Russia, on members of the Russian leadership, on parliamentarians of the Russian Federation, and on our companies whose only culpability in the eyes of the European Union is their registration in a country that the EU has chosen to declare an aggressor illegally and for no reason," he said.

Commenting on Russia's recent decision to blacklist eight top EU officials, Lavrov said: "We declared persona non grata those people in the European Union structures and in a number of EU member states due to the fact that they took a decisive part in the next wave of sanctions against our officials, including parliamentarians."

He added that the exchange of sanctions started "from an anti-constitutional coup" which happened despite the guarantees given to the Ukrainian leadership by the European countries.

"If we talk about relations between Russia and the European Union, between the Brussels structures, then the entire architecture of these relations, which was probably unprecedented in its time, was destroyed by Brussels in connection with the events that took place in Ukraine.

"We should have a claim against Europe for supporting and encouraging the coup in Ukraine, contrary to its obligations. It's sad, but it's not our choice. Once again, if you just look at the statistics of everything that happened after March 2014, you will instantly see who started this series of sanctions and what is the reason why we cannot help but respond to this hostility," he said.

Ukraine has been plagued by conflict in its eastern regions since the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych in March 2014 after he rejected the Ukrainian-European Association Agreement, followed by Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea.

Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine has seen more than 13,000 people killed, according to the UN.

- Karabakh conflict 'stabilized'

Turning to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Lavrov said the situation there has been stabilized and there are only minor incidents that are quickly tackled by Russian peace-keeping forces.

He then called for not politicizing the peace process in the region, saying the issues of the routes connecting the region, line of contact, delimitation and demarcation of borders are being resolved.

"These are practical, understandable things that need to be resolved in order for the region to breathe freely and live a peaceful life. Those who try to leave these issues for later and first engage in political discussions, in my opinion, put the whole process on its head. It is much easier to solve political issues when people begin to live normally on the ground," he said.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27 last year, Armenia launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and even violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the six week-conflict, which ended with a Russian-brokered truce, Azerbaijan liberated several strategic cities and nearly 300 of its settlements and villages from Armenian occupation. The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10 to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

A joint Turkish-Russian center was established to monitor the truce. Russian peacekeeping troops have also been deployed in the region.

Di Maio deve restituire all'Irak ca. 100 mio. EUR per armi italiane ordinate da Saddam Hussein e mai consegnate all'Irak

 

Iraq seeks Italian refund for military purchases

Iraq seeks Italian refund for military purchases
The logo of Italian aerospace, defense and security company Leonardo Helicopters company is pictured at a factory on Jan. 30, 2018 in Vergiate, near Milan. (File/AFP)
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Updated 06 May 2021
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  • Iraqi FM said the money was paid to Italian aerospace and defense company Leonardo and the Fincantieri shipyard
  • The two countries are underway “to resolve the situation for the best”

ROME: Iraq has asked Italy to return the €90 million ($108.53 million) Saddam Hussein’s regime paid to Italian companies to purchase military equipment that was never delivered because of the 1991 embargo on the sale of arms to Iraq.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio in Rome on Wednesday and explained the money was paid to Italian aerospace and defense company Leonardo and the Fincantieri shipyard.

“There are 60 million euros frozen in Italian banks, plus interest, and 30 million more in current accounts of the embassy and other employees. It is our right to recover that amount, and we have no intention of giving up on this,” Hussein told press after the meeting.

He added that the release of those sums will “facilitate, improve and increase the relaunch of bilateral relations” between Iraq and Italy.

“Foreign Minister Di Maio has promised to engage in the issue,” he explained, but said it is yet to be decided whether Italy will deliver the purchased equipment or unlock the frozen accounts.

Sources in the Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed to Arab News that negotiations between the two countries are underway “to resolve the situation for the best.”

During his meeting with Di Maio at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hussein also thanked Italy for its help as a member of the international coalition against Daesh.

“I take this opportunity to thank the Italian people, government and institutions for this,” he said.

Italy has provided weapons and training to Kurdish anti-Daesh militias in Erbil for over 10 years. A particularly intense training job has been carried out in Kurdistan by the Carabinieri, the Italian Military Police.

“Thanks to the fundamental Italian contribution to our security forces, Iraq continues to fight those Daesh cells which are still active in the country,” Hussein told Italian daily newspaper la Repubblica.

Lettera aperta al signor Luigi di Maio, deputato del Popolo Italiano

ZZZ, 04.07.2020 C.A. deputato Luigi di Maio sia nella sua funzione di deputato sia nella sua funzione di ministro degli esteri ...