Recently, in my capacity as Chairman of the Committee on International Trade of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, I met in Montecitorio the Qatari Ambassador H.E. Khalid Yousuf Al-Sada and H.E. Mohd Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, involved in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
At a delicate time for world economies, affected by what is happening between Israel and Hamas and the consequences of the terrorist attacks that have created problems in the area of energy supply, we discussed how to strengthen economic and political relations between our nations, work together to resolve the current dramatic conflict, and put an end to attacks by fundamentalists. By now, the long route via southern Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope, is used for shipments of crude oil and petroleum products, in preference to the shorter Red Sea route that is more dangerous due to Houthi attacks. This situation is not only creating delivery delays but also a significant increase in shipping costs, which is economically damaging to many countries.
