Italy's Tajani announces appointment of new ambassador to Syria
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Stefano Ravagnan, the current special envoy for Syria in the foreign ministry, has been appointed as ambassador and will assume his new position shortly.
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Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, Thursday July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on Friday that Italy will appoint an ambassador to Syria, becoming the first G7 nation to reestablish a diplomatic mission in Damascus.
The top diplomat said that his Ministry has done so to "turn a spotlight" on the country amid an ongoing crisis that has driven thousands of Syrians away.
Tajani further told Reuters that Stefano Ravagnan, the current special envoy for Syria in the foreign ministry, has been appointed as ambassador and will assume his new position shortly.
Read more: EU member states push for renewed engagement with Damascus: FT
This comes against the backdrop of a recent letter sent to EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell, in which several EU states called on the bloc to play a more active role in addressing Syria's humanitarian crisis and deteriorating economy.
The letter was co-signed by Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, and Slovakia, along with Italy, and called for the implementation of several measures to recalibrate the EU's stance.
These include the appointment of an EU Syria envoy which would facilitate dialogue with Syrian actors and neighboring countries, renewing diplomatic contacts to foster a more direct communication channel, and the call for a discussion on the impact of EU sanctions, arguing that over-compliance in the banking sector is inadvertently harming the Syrian population.
Read more: Erdogan, Assad to hold historic meeting in Moscow
The Financial Times reported on the matter earlier this week, stating that "Syrians continue to leave in large numbers, putting additional strain on neighboring countries, in a period when tension in the area is running high, risking new refugee waves."
Tajani on Friday told Reuters that "Borrell mandated the European External Action Service to study what can be done" and that the appointment of a new ambassador was "in line with the letter we sent to Borrel ... to turn the spotlight on Syria".
Currently, six EU embassies are open in Damascus, but none from other G7 nations.
