This story is that of a lost bet. In recent months, Italy’s foreign policy towards Bashar Al-Assad’s Syria had tilted significantly towards normalization with the regime. This was before everything shattered on December 8 with the fall of the dictator. In July, Rome stood out by announcing the return of an ambassador resident in Damascus, Stefano Ravagnan, responsible for the Syrian file at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and based until now in Beirut. Italy thus became the first country in the European Union and the G7 to resume contact with the Syrian regime, even if the diplomat never presented his credentials, technically remaining a “business manager”.
Signs of a softening of Italian diplomacy towards Damascus have multiplied, including in international forums. Thus, at the beginning of September, during the 57e session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the name of Italy has disappeared from the list of signatories to the resolution sanctioning Damascus. On March 15, 2023, in a declaration marking the twelfth anniversary of the uprising of the Syrian people against Bashar Al-Assad, Italy was already no longer mentioned alongside France, Germany, the United States and the Kingdom -United, unlike previous years.
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