Italian Foreign Minister Calls for European Union Army

In an interview with Italy's La Stampa newspaper, Mr. Tajani said that closer defense cooperation with Europe was a top priority for the Forza Italia party he leads.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Photo: Reuters

“If we want to be peacekeepers in the world, we need a European army. And this is a fundamental prerequisite for an effective European foreign policy,” he said in an interview published on Sunday.

“In a world with powerful players like the US, China, India, Russia – with crises from the Middle East to the Indo- Pacific – Italian, German, French or Slovenian citizens can only be protected by… the European Union,” he added.

European defense cooperation has been high on the political agenda since the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted nearly two years ago. However, efforts have focused largely on NATO expansion, with Finland and Sweden also on track to become members of the US-led military alliance.

Mr Tajani also said the 27-nation EU should simplify its leadership and have a single president, instead of the current structure of a European Council president and a European Commission president.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ngoai-truong-y-keu-goi-thanh-lap-quan-doi-lien-minh-chau-au-de-ngan-ngua-xung-dot-post280077.html