July 12, 2011 – Rome – An AJC leadership delegation has concluded a two-day visit to the Italian capital. The AJC group met with Foreign Minister Franco Frattini; Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini; MP Francsico Tempestini, Head of the opposition Democratic Party's parliamentary group and Foreign Affairs Commission; MP Fiamma Nierenstein,Vice President of the Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs; Gideon Meir, Israel's Ambassador to Italy; and leaders of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities.

AJC's diplomatic agenda in Rome encompassed three main topics: (a) Palestinian unilateralism in the context of the peace process; (b) The Arab upheaval and its potential consequences for the region and beyond; and (c) Iran's ongoing quest for nuclear-weapons capability and suppression of human rights.

"It is always so refreshing to come to Italy, a country I have visited innumerable times, and engage with political leadership who are staunchly committed to the bilateral relationship with Israel and have a firm grasp of the challenges faced by Israel in its relentless quest for peace and security in a highly unstable region," said AJC Executive Director David Harris.

"We also greatly admire Italy's determination to speak up on Israel-related issues in the European Union and at the UN, such as its recent declaration, reiterated to us by the foreign minister, that Italy will not support any unilateral steps at the UN by the Palestinian Authority,’ said Harris. “We can only hope that Italy's strong voice will lead many others to reach the same conclusion in Brussels and at the UN.”

AJC maintains an office in Rome headed by Lisa Palmieri-Billig, AJC's representative to Italy and the Holy See.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.