Readout of the Secretary-General's meetings with Italian leaders
Readouts | Ban Ki-moon, Former Secretary-General
At each meeting, the Secretary-General congratulated his interlocutors and the Italian people on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Italian unification.
He also reiterated his condemnation of the attack last week in Lebanon on Italian peacekeepers serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and renewed his sincere sympathies to those wounded and their families, as well as to all Italians.
The Secretary-General said he hoped Italy would maintain its current level of support to UNIFIL, since the Italian contingent and the mission as a whole are making a significant contribution towards stability and peace in Lebanon and the wider region.
The Secretary-General thanked the leaders for Italy's strong support for international efforts on Libya and Somalia.
President Napolitano and the Secretary-General exchanged views on developments in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly the situation in Libya, and the Middle East peace process. They also discussed the question of migrants, which the Secretary-General had also outlined at length in his speech at today's International Conference on the Inter-ethnic City. The Secretary-General said it was important that human rights of migrants should be protected regardless of their status.
The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Italy's close relationship with the UN, and its strong support for UN institutions based in Italy as well as for its contributions to peacekeeping and development.
The Secretary-General and Prime Minister Berlusconi had an in-depth exchange on a number of topics, including the situation in the Middle East and North Africa as well as nuclear safety and support for Somalia.
On reforms in the Middle East and North Africa, the Secretary-General underscored the importance of including women in dialogue. He said he remained troubled by violence in Syria and Yemen. He noted announcements by Syria on an amnesty and in Bahrain on political dialogue, and said the key was implementation.
The Secretary-General and Foreign Minister Frattini discussed Libya, Somalia and Lebanon.
The Secretary-General outlined the work of his Special Envoy and thanked the Foreign Minister for Italy's role in hosting a Contact Group meeting on Libya. The Foreign Minister briefed the Secretary-General on his trip on Tuesday to Benghazi. On Somalia, the Secretary-General was particularly appreciative of Italy's support for training Somali security forces.