«Zaki? I don’t expect gratitude, it was right to release him»- Corriere.it

«I don’t expect gratitudeI am not interested, the release of Patrick Zaki was an important goal for us and I am very happy to have achieved it». This is the comment of the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, interviewed by Tg1, on the story of the pardon granted to the Egyptian researcher and the controversy over the refusal of a state flight to return to Italy. “It was right to do it – continued the premier -, we do it regardless of any other consideration”.

“We arrived at the pardon with patience and determination”, said the Prime Minister, then affirming that “the pardon granted is another sign of the respect that Italy has at the moment and also of a different approach with the North African countries which is respectful despite the enormous differences that exist between us».

Meloni then focused on the theme of migrations and the relationship with Africa. «I want to definitively stop irregular immigration and the agreement with Tunisia demonstrates that it is possible. But we need to change our approach – says the president -, compared to those who said that borders shouldn’t be defended and that immigration could not be limited, we have changed our approach, otherwise it would be impossible to sustain the pressure on our coasts. However we need a structural change, we need international cooperation».

«The red thread for me is above all the theme of the centrality of the Mediterranean and the relationship with Africa. Europe and the West in recent years have felt that they should not take sufficient care of Africa, but it is a mistake, above all for the nations that are paying the consequences the most, such as Italy. Today there is a completely different approach: the agreement with Tunisia, the resources that the EU decides to mobilize in Tunisia, and beyond, show that the approach has changed and this is a merit that is above all due to the Italian government».

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