SENATE OF THE REPUBLIC, XVII LEGISLATURE, 372nd MEETING, 12 JANUARY 2015.

On 12 January 2015, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks against the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Paolo Gentiloni Silveri, reported before the Senate of the Republic on the position of Italy in the international fight against terrorism. Mr Gentiloni illustrated, inter alia, Italy’s efforts against ISIL/Daesh. He said:

The battle against the Caliphate will be long and Italy is directly involved in it on the basis of Resolution 2170 of the United Nations Security Council, in particular with regard to the provision of arms and military trainers, both to Kurdish fighters and to Iraqi forces. As you are aware, we have provided light weapons and anti-tank systems; we will have 290 trainers in the military base of Erbil collaborating with the forces that fight Daesh militias on the ground. Moreover, we have been undertaking several reconnaissance missions in Kuwait with our Tornados [jets] and Predators [drones].

The Minister also hinted at the situation in Syria. He explained:

We have been supporting the United Nations position in Syria. As you are aware, the United Nations is trying, also on the basis of a proposal of Italy, to obtain the “freezing” of the situation in Aleppo. This model could be replicated in other parts of Syria.

He then concluded:

If a process of national reconciliation starts under the UN auspices, the Government will propose to the Parliament to support it, including by means of a monitoring and peace-keeping intervention.

The full Italian version of this statement can be downloaded here.