Egypt Daily News – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed, on Tuesday, her readiness to engage in dialogue with the new authority in Damascus, calling for “the utmost caution” towards Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which has been in power since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
Meloni said in a speech before Parliament, “Italy is ready to engage in dialogue with the new Syrian leadership, in the context of joint assessments and measures with European and international partners.”
She stated, “The first signs seem encouraging, but the utmost caution must be exercised,” noting “the necessity of matching words with deeds, and we will judge the new Syrian authorities based on their actions.” Meloni considered that “the decisive element will be the position towards ethnic and religious minorities.”
Italy had reopened its embassy in Damascus at the beginning of the summer, making it the first country among the G7 countries to take this step.