The Conference on Afghanistan is now under way in London amidst massive security measures, with Italy represented by Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. The aim of the Conference is to support the government in Kabul in fighting the Taliban and to outline a political process leading to pacification. Invitees include the Foreign Ministers of the 43 countries contributing to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and representatives of the countries of the region and of the EU, NATO and the World Bank. Minister Frattini will be having bilateral meetings with his Afghan and Australian counterparts, Zalmay Rasoul and Stephen Smith, in the margins of the Conference.

At a meeting on the situation in Yemen held at the Foreign Office in London, the international “Friends of Yemen” group, an Italian proposal, was launched. The Group’s aim is to help Yemen combat terrorism and meet security and development challenges without imposing solutions from the outside.

It was Minister Frattini who explained one of the most concrete results achieved by this meeting. A meeting for which British prime minister Gordon Brown has been pressing strongly in the wake of the failed attack on the Amsterdam-Detroit flight by a young Nigerian trained on Yemeni territory. The meeting was attended by 21 countries and multilateral groupings, including the USA, the EU and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The Arab League was not present, but Minister Frattini has said it should be fully involved in this process, starting from the next meeting of the Friends of Yemen. This will be held in Riyadh in late February.

Before the summit in London, Minister Frattini had a bilateral meeting with his Yemeni colleague Abu Bakr al-Qirbi. Frattini stressed the need for a regional approach in the fight against terrorism, an approach extending beyond the Arabian peninsula. “We are all convinced”, he said, “that the regional approach is key. We cannot restrict our action to Yemen, but must limit the flows to and from the countries of the Horn of Africa". Starting with Somalia, the starting point for over 800,000 refugees who are now in Yemen “in utterly precarious conditions” and are a “breeding ground” for terrorist organisations.

Hence the idea for an international conference on Somalia, to be held at the earliest possible date under the aegis of the United Nations. Minister Frattini has proposed that this should take place in Rome.

The Minister noted Italy’s 4-pronged contribution to Yemen’s security and development:

• technological assistance for coastal surveillance in the form of radar systems for anti-piracy and anti-terrorism measures and training for Yemeni coast guards;
  
•  automated mechanisms to produce authentic identity papers and clamp down on counterfeiting;
  
•  specialist legal assistance for justice system reform; and
  
•  protection of Yemen’s historic and artistic heritage.
  

Italy’s financial commitment amounts to about 50 million euros, in addition to which our country can provide training and security expertise that few other countries can boast.