The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov left Palazzo Chigi after meeting with Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The procession of cars entered around 10.30 and left, again from the rear entrance of the seat of government, after about 45 minutes. The two spoke of Libya where there is “the need to continue with the political dialogue promoted in Geneva by the United Nations also in view of the elections at the end of December and the need for a rapid withdrawal of foreign forces from the country”.
Lavrov then met Luigi Di Maio. “We have not talked about the sanctions, there is nothing strange because we have said several times that we do not intend to talk about them with countries that suffer these sanctions. I came to Italy because I was invited and we always appreciate a mutually respectful dialogue, ”said Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov at a press conference at the Farnesina with Luigi Di Maio.
“Close international coordination on Afghanistan is essential. In this context, dialogue with Russia is essential ”, affirms the Foreign Minister, defining Moscow as“ a key player in managing the crisis ”. “With Minister Lavrov we reaffirmed our willingness to dialogue and collaborate in this extremely delicate phase on the international agenda,” Di Maio said, during a joint press point at the Farnesina with his Russian counterpart.
The condemnation of the attacks in Kabul continues. «In the next few hours, with the conclusion of the airlift and the evacuation operations, the first emergency phase will end. Phase 2 must now be planned, looking beyond the date of August 31 to put in place a response in the short and medium term that has an ordered, structured and strategic nature ». The Foreign Ministry is working to coordinate a plan to support the Afghan people in the future. “The priority is the greatest number of evacuations to protect the largest number of civilians.” Only “a unified international approach can be effective in relation to the new authorities in Kabul”, Di Maio stressed.
During the press conference, Minister Di Maio announced that Italy, as part of the G20 presidency, is planning an in-depth ad hoc summit on Afghanistan, adding that it is counting on Russia’s “collaboration”. And the Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov stated that “The Italian presidency in the G20 offers the possibility of intensifying our mutual collaboration”. “Unlike the G7, the G20 is a platform that reflects the multipolar reality of our world,” he added.
Di Maio: “Concern about the case of Alexei Navalny”
The joint press conference between Di Maio and Lavrov was also an opportunity for the Italian Foreign Minister to remember his Russian colleague “our concern for the case of Alexei Navalny, to whom legitimate guarantees must be applied to protect fundamental rights” , adding that it is necessary to speak frankly between friendly countries. The head of the Farnesina also raised the question of the Ukrainian crisis.