This is the story of a failed gamble. In recent months, Italy's foreign policy towards Bashar al-Assad's Syria had been clearly tilted in favor of normalization with the regime. That was before everything collapsed on December 8 with the fall of the dictator. In July, Rome set itself apart by announcing the return of a resident ambassador to Damascus, Stefano Ravagnan, who had been handling Syrian affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from his base in Beirut. Italy thus became the first European Union and G7 country to resume dialogue with the Syrian regime, even though the diplomat never officially presented his credentials, and technically remained a "chargé d'affaires."
Signs of a softening in Italy's diplomatic stance towards Damascus have multiplied, including in international forums. At the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in early September, Italy's name did not appear on the list of signatories to a resolution sanctioning Damascus. On March 15, 2023, in a statement marking the 12th anniversary of the Syrian people's uprising against Bashar Al-Assad, Italy was no longer mentioned alongside France, Germany, the US and the UK, unlike in previous years.
You have 77.96% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.