RIYADH, Sep 11 ( Arab News): Saudi Arabia and Italy, which have been actively engaged in attempts to revive the Middle East peace process, have pledged to exert more efforts to stabilize the region.
“The move is to ensure peace and security in the region as the renewal of direct talks in Washington seek to contribute to a possible agreement between Palestinians and Israelis,” said Velentino Simonetti, a career diplomat who presented his credential as new Italian ambassador to Saudi Arabia last week.
Italy, he said, was also spearheading efforts to put together a credible UN peace force for southern Lebanon.
On the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, he said the Kingdom and Italy believe in a two-state solution and are equally engaged in attempts to revive the peace process.
The recent visit of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to the Kingdom demonstrated that the two countries are on “sound footing in political and commercial spheres” and share a common approach on a range of regional and international issues, Simonetti said.
Simonetti, who has worked as the president of the Inter-ministerial Committee for Human Rights in Italy, spoke about progressively growing Saudi-Italian ties. He also recalled his memories about the Kingdom during his tenure as second commercial secretary at the Italian mission in Jeddah, which was his first foreign assignment.
On the commercial front, the ambassador said Riyadh and Rome had forged closer relations. The two sides have evinced keen interest to promote trade and investment relations further, he added. To this end, he noted that a huge delegation composed of some 150 top-notch Italian companies would visit the Kingdom on Nov. 5. The four-day visit of Italian businessmen, he said, would further strengthen the ties between the two nations, he added.
Referring to the bilateral ties, he said that Italy strongly supports the interfaith initiative launched by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. The two countries have long-term defense relations also.
Simonetti started his diplomatic career in 1975. A law graduate Simonetti also served as minister counselor at the Italy’s Permanent Representation at the International Organizations in Geneva. In 1990, he was appointed as commercial counselor in the Italian mission in Ottawa and then moved to Philadelphia in 1994 as consul general.