Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared that Italy is not at war and has no intention of becoming part of the conflict in the Middle East, emphasizing that Rome is working to reduce tensions and restore diplomatic dialogue.

In a video message released to the media, Meloni said that the Italian government's priority is to avoid an escalation of the situation and protect Italian citizens in the region. "Italy is not at war and has no intention of becoming part of the war," she said. According to the prime minister, the Italian government is working to reduce tensions and to see if there is still a possibility of resuming negotiations between the parties to the conflict.

“We are working to reduce tensions as much as possible and to see if there is still a possibility to resume negotiations. In the meantime, we continue the dialogue with all the countries of the region and offer the necessary assistance to our compatriots who are in this wider area,” she stressed. Meloni also referred to a telephone conversation she had on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. She underlined that Italy took the initiative for close coordination between the four major European countries to deal with the current crisis.

“We took the initiative for an analytical exchange of views between Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, activating the coordination of the four major European countries, with the aim of jointly addressing the crisis and strengthening diplomatic actions,” Meloni said. According to her, the European leaders agreed on the need for cooperation to avoid further escalation of the situation and to contribute to the stability of the region, while the dialogue with the countries of the Middle East will continue.