By Baris Seckin
ROME (AA) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday said her government is ready to engage with Syria's new leadership after the fall of the Assad regime, adding they will judge the new Syrian authorities on their actions.
Addressing parliament, Meloni noted that Italy is ready to engage with the new leadership in Syria but urged "maximum caution."
Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power in Syria since 1963.
She went on to say that the engagement will obviously be carried out "in the context of assessments and actions shared with European and international partners."
The Italian premier noted that the decisive element will be the attitude towards ethnic and religious minorities.
"The first signs seem encouraging but maximum caution is needed. Words must be followed by actions and we will judge the new Syrian authorities on their actions," added Meloni.
Saying that there should be no place for Daesh/ISIS and new terrorist cells in Syria, she noted that Italy would raise the issue at the upcoming EU Leaders' Summit that will take place later this week in Brussels.
With the ouster of Syria's Assad regime, the terrorist PKK/YPG has been seeking to exploit the country's instability and power vacuum.
- Call for cease-fire in Gaza
On Gaza, she reiterated Italy's call for a cease-fire in the besieged Palestinian enclave, stressing that a just and sustainable peace in the region can only be achieved through a two-state solution that guarantees security and mutual recognition for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel has continued a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 45,000 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.
Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
- EU-Mercosur deal
On the recently agreed EU-Mercosur deal, Meloni pointed out the need to assess the impact of such agreements on the agricultural sector.
On Dec. 6, the EU and four Mercosur countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay, reached a political agreement on a "ground-breaking" partnership agreement, to increase bilateral trade and investment while lowering tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, notably for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Like Italy, some other member states, including France, Poland, and Spain shared their concern over the impacts on the agricultural sector across the bloc.