ROME, January 15 Italy has already begun to suffer losses due to for attacks by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea, said the country's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani.
“The economic damage caused by attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels has already appeared, especially for southern ports, as well as Genoa,” Nova agency quoted him as saying.
According to Tajani, he will visit the Middle East in the coming days. «In recent days, I have spoken with all the foreign ministers of the G7 countries, and the common goal is de-escalation. Unfortunately, the situation is very difficult, in Lebanon, in the Red Sea, and we must ensure that there is no escalation of the conflict, because The economic damage for Italy could also be significant, we must avoid it,» the minister said.
According to the Italian Foreign Ministry, a meeting was held on Monday between the leadership of the Council of Ministers, the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs, dedicated to the situation in the Red Sea. The meeting participants, including Tajani and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, «agreed on guidelines that will be proposed at future international meetings, in particular at the EU Foreign Ministry Council on January 22, where the formation of a European navy dedicated to the protection of merchant ships in the Red Sea region will be discussed «.
Difficulties with navigation in the Red Sea due to the situation in Yemen are jeopardizing half a billion euros worth of Italian fruit and vegetable exports, agricultural producers association Coldiretti said. Earlier, representatives of the Italian government stated that Rome is ready to take part in a possible EU operation to protect merchant ships in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.
The United States and Great Britain launched strikes on Friday night against targets of the Iran-backed Shiite movement Ansar Allah (Houthis), ruling in northern Yemen, calling it a response to threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. A member of Ansar Allah's supreme political council, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, called it a terrorist barbarity and deliberate and unjustified aggression. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria said the US and UK carried out 73 strikes in Yemen, killing five Houthi fighters and wounding six more.