Angelino Alfano and Boris Johnson during their talks at the FCO (picture: Foreign & Commonwealth Office)
Minister Alfano met with the Foreign Secretary, as part of the new Italian foreign minister’s first tour of European capitals, with stops in Paris and London first and then Berlin, Madrid and Pristina.
“The events of these last few hours in Berlin, Turkey and Jordan, are more than enough to explain that security and peace remain the fundamental issues on which to continue working together independently from the aspects linked to Brexit,” said Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano in London, on the fringes of a meeting at the Foreign Office with his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and after being received at Downing Street – uncustomary for a Foreign Minister – by Prime Minister Theresa May who, like him, was formerly Minister of the Interior. Together with Mr Johnson, Mr Alfano emphasised that “the United Kingdom exits the EU but not Europe”.
Referring to the negotiations between London and Brussels, Italy’s newly appointed foreign minister recalled that the negotiations will be conducted “in compliance with Art. 50” but also that Italy wishes the negotiations “to be friendly and in the light of day, respecting rules and treaties”. He went on to say that cooperating with Great Britain “for peace and security in Europe” is also key in the transition towards Brexit. He said: “We have a number of essential issues to deal with together: from international security, to cooperation on the migration issue in the Mediterranean, to interventions in Africa to stop human traffickers.”
– Minister Alfano on the tragic events in Berlin
– News of the meeting on the website of the FCO
Minister Alfano at Downing Street (picture: Salvatore Mancuso, SM Photo News Agency)
