ROME – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has laid the groundwork for renewed ties with the Gulf states after a three-day mission to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain yielded deals worth around $10 billion.

The visit, which came to a wrap on Monday, drew accusations of a lack of political consistency from opposition parties, which drew attention to Meloni’s past positions on Saudi Arabia.

“Meloni no longer lets a single day pass without contradicting herself,” the opposition Democratic Party commented on social media.

Its leader, Elly Schlein, also shared a 2019 video of Meloni denouncing the lack of civil rights in the Saudi kingdom.

Criticism also focused on Sunday’s bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

During a press briefing, Meloni said there was “no contradiction” between her past statements and current actions, and stressed Saudi Arabia’s strategic importance in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia’s role in the Middle East was a recurring theme in Meloni’s speech at a roundtable with Italian businesses at the Unesco site of Al-‘Ula.

Meloni described the kingdom as “a key player in the entire Middle East” and stressed that “normalising relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel could facilitate progress toward a two-state solution”.  She also said that Saudi Arabia had helped strenghten Lebanese institutions and stabilise the region.

Addressing the issue of US trade sanctions at another press point in Saudi Arabia, Meloni said: “Conflict benefits no one. Dialogue and a balanced, equitable solution are the keys to addressing these challenges.”

“I will do everything in my power, and the path I intend to pursue is one I will propose to the American administration, in order to achieve shared solutions,” she added.

Defence cooperation was another key element of Meloni’s visit. The Italian prime minister signalled the country’s openness to Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a sixth-generation stealth fighter jet project led by Italy, the UK and Japan.

“Of course, it’s not an immediate process, as we need to complete our trilateral work with the governments of the UK and Japan and facilitate Saudi Arabia’s closer involvement,” Meloni said.

The mission resulted in a series of agreements worth an estimated value of $10 billion – covering defence, advanced technologies and energy.

The deals, announced in Al-‘Ula, involve over 20 Italian companies, including major players in the defence sector such as Leonardo, Fincantieri, and Elettronica, as well as Snam, the state-owned natural gas transmission operator.

Leonardo signed a memorandum of understanding to promote the development of aerospace technology, while Snam partnered with Saudi electricity company Acwa Power to create a green hydrogen supply chain from Saudi Arabia to Europe. Fincantieri also strengthened its regional presence with agreements on shipbuilding and cybersecurity.

The mission ended in Bahrain, where Meloni met King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The visit to Bahrain was the first by an Italian prime minister to the small Gulf kingdom.

(Simone Cantarini | Euractiv.it)

Source: Euractiv.com