Italy abandoned the “One Belt, One Road” project – Kommersant
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Italy does not intend to renew the agreement on participation in the Chinese “One Belt – One Road” project, writes Corriere della Sera. According to the newspaper, the corresponding note was sent through the embassy to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. In 2019, Italy became the first G7 country to confirm its readiness to participate in projects of the Chinese program by signing a memorandum with Beijing.
According to Corriere della Sera, the note announcing Italy’s withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative was prepared “after weeks of confidential negotiations.” At the same time, in the document, the Italian side emphasized its intention to maintain and strengthen the strategic partnership with China, “which has existed for more than ten years.” Corriere della Sera notes that during its participation in the Chinese project, Italy “did not receive major economic benefits, but, on the contrary, faced undesirable political consequences.”
In May 2023, Bloomberg wrote that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni informed the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, about Italy’s intention to withdraw from the Chinese Belt and Road project. Agency sources claimed that Washington put pressure on Rome to end its participation in the Chinese project. There was no official announcement about the withdrawal from the project.
The “One Belt, One Road” initiative was launched in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping. He proposed combining land and sea trade routes in order to quickly and inexpensively deliver goods to the countries of Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. At the moment, 152 countries and more than 30 international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China under the program.
Read more about the One Belt, One Road initiative at material “Ъ”.
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