EU names new special envoy to Middle East peace process
Max Civili
Press TV, Rome
Italian diplomat Fernando Gentilini has been appointed by European Union Foreign Ministers as the EU's special envoy to the Middle East peace proces.The post was created in 2006 and remained vacant for a year after being first assigned to Tony Blair in 2007 and after that to Andreas Reinicke, between February 2012 and June 2013.
Gentilini, who served in the Western Balkans and Turkey for almost four years since 2011, has no specific experience in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but has a reputation for being an expert on mediation and conflict resolution.
About three weeks ago Italian lawmakers backed a resolution urging the government to recognize Palestine as a state so that negotiations with Israel to reach a two-state solution are restarted.
Over 130 countries have now recognized Palestine as a state – the Palestinian Authority estimates.
Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni has argued that the role of the new chief envoy to the Middle East Gentilini would be different from that of ex-British prime minister Tony Blair.
Some international political analysts have cast doubts on Gentilini's future effectiveness in his new role.
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