A Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emma Bonino, on the Refusal to Granting Overflight Rights to Evo Morales

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CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES AND SENATE OF THE REPUBLIC, 1st, 3rd, AND 4th JOINT COMMISSIONS, XVII LEGISLATURE, 1st MEETING, 4 JULY 2013.

On 4 July 2013, Minister Bonino made reference to the actions taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in relation to an incident occurred to the Bolivian President, Evo Morales, during his way back to Bolivia after an official visit to Moscow. The presidential aircraft had requested an authorization to fly over some European countries that was eventually rejected on 2 July 2013. This generated protests from Latin American countries, which saw the refusal to grant the overflight permission as stemming from the suspicion that Mr. Snowden was on board of the Presidential aircraft. In her statement, Ms. Bonino highlights the connections between this incident and the security measures adopted after 9/11 by the US and made some considerations on the relevance for Italy and the EU of the Snowden case. She stated: 

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ View on North Korean Nuclear Threat and International Cooperation on Non-Proliferation

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CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 44th MEETING, 2 JULY 2013.

On 2 July 2013 the deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Lapo Pistelli answered a parliamentary question relating to North Korean aggressive rhetoric and provocations that took place between December 2012 and April 2013. He highlighted the centrality of Security Council resolution 2094 (2013) and the fundamental importance of operating within the frameworks of the NATO and G8 and in cooperation with the European partners when dealing with such issues of international concern as Pyongyang’s nuclear threats and systematic violations of human rights. 

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Statement by Amb. Ragaglini on the Position of the Uniting for Consensus Group on the Tenth Round of Negotiations on Security Council Reform

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PLENARY MEETING OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATIONS ON THE QUESTION OF EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION ON AND INCREASE IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE COUNCIL, 27 JUNE 2013.

On 27 June 2013, Amb. Cesar Maria Ragaglini, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations, took position, also on behalf of the United for Consensus Group, on the proposals on the reform of the Security Council. He stated:

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A Statement by the Minister for Home Affairs on the Management of Migratory Flows to Italy and the Amendment of the Dublin Regulation

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CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 36th MEETING, 19 JUNE 2013.

On 19 June 2013, the Minister for Home Affairs Angelino Alfano reported at the Chamber of Deputies on recent landings of migrants on Lampedusa and other Italian coastal areas. He pointed out that the issue of managing migratory flows to Italy cannot be considered a merely national issue and asked for the cooperation of the European Union and bodies of the United Nations. He said:

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Environmental Concerns over the Construction of MUOS: The Position of the Ministry of Defence

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CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 21st MEETING, 22 MAY 2013 – QUESTION TIME.

Pending an opinion of the Istituto Superiore della Sanità (National Health Institute), the Region of Sicily resorted to the precautionary principle under Article 191 TFEU and revoked its environmental authorizations for the construction of MUOS (a US military communication system) on its territory. On 22 May 2013, the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Mario Mauro, explained his Ministry’s decision to appeal against such revocation. He made reference to the duty to comply with the obligations undertaken by Italy under Article IX(3) of the London Agreement of 1951 between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty. Some excerpts from the Minister’s speech follow here below:

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The Position of the Ministry of Justice on the Prohibition of Extradition of Terrorist Suspects

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CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 17th MEETING, 16 MAY 2013 – QUESTION TIME.

On 16 May 2013, the Undersecretary of State for Justice, Mr. Cosimo Maria Ferri, outlined before the Chamber of Deputies the reasons leading to the Decreto Ministeriale of 24 April 2013, which granted the extradition of a Spanish terrorist suspect to Spain. In such country, special detention conditions, which have been the object of ECHR judgments and criticisms by human rights NGOs, apply for terrorist suspects. The extradition had been previously approved by both the Court of Appeal of Rome and the Supreme Court of Cassation. In his statement, Mr. Ferri referred to the decision of the Court of Cassation as follows:

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The President of the Council of Ministers on the Enrica Lexie Case and the Resignation of Minister Terzi

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CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 5th MEETING, 27 MARCH 2013.

Following the resignation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giulio Maria Terzi di Sant’Agata (whose statement before the Chamber of Deputies can be read here), the Italian President of the Council of Ministers, Senator Mario Monti, was asked to report at the Parliament on the Mr. Terzi’s resignation, as well as more broadly on the recent developments of the ongoing dispute between Italy and India. The dispute broke out after the arrest by Indian authorities of Sergeant Major Massimiliano Latorre and Sergeant Salvatore Girone, two italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen while embarked aboard the Italian-flagged oil-tanker Enrica Lexie in order to carry out anti-piracy activities.

Here follow some excerpts from Mario Monti’s statement before the Chamber of Deputies.

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Enrica Lexie Case: Minister Terzi’s Parliamentary Audition and Resignation

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CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 4th MEETING, 26 MARCH 2013 – URGENT INFORMATION ON THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF THE CASE OF THE TWO ITALIAN MARINES UNDER CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS IN INDIA.

On 26 March 2013, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giulio Maria Terzi di Sant’Agata, declared in a speech before the Chamber of Deputies his intention to resign, in protest of the Italian Government’s decision to return to India Sergeant Major Massimiliano Latorre and Sergeant Salvatore Girone, the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen while embarked aboard the Italian-flagged oil-tanker Enrica Lexie in order to carry out anti-piracy activities.

Here follows Minister Terzi’s statement:

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A Speech by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giulio Terzi, on the Syrian Crisis

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ROME, INTER-MINISTERIAL MEETING ON THE SYRIAN CRISIS, 28 FEBRUARY 2013.

On 28 February 2013, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, delivered a speech in the framework of an inter-ministerial meeting on the Syrian crisis that was convened in Rome and was attended by the representatives of 34 Countries, including the United States Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, and the head of the Syrian Opposition Forces Coalition, Mr Sheikh Moaz al-Khatib. He underlined that there was a common sense of urgency as to the need of taking new steps towards the resolution of the crisis, and that this was the reason why he accepted

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Government’s Report on Italian Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding Operations

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SENATE OF THE REPUBLIC, XVI LEGISLATURE, JOINT MEETING OF THE 3rd COMMISSION (FOREIGN AFFAIRS) AND THE 4th COMMISSION (DEFENCE) OF THE SENATE WITH THE 3rd COMMISSION (FOREIGN AFFAIRS) AND THE 4th COMMISSION (DEFENCE) OF THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, 13th MEETING, 16 JANUARY 2013.

On 16 January 2013, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Terzi di Sant’Agata, reported before the Parliament on the situation of Italian peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. The Minister commented upon the outbreak of a new round of hostilities in Mali, the situation in Libya and in Syria and considered the role of Italian missions in those countries. Here follow some excerpts from the Minister’s speech:

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