In 2019, Italy was the only G7 country to join the project.

The Italian government has informed the Chinese government in a letter that it does not wish to renew the bilateral agreement, which expires in March, concluded in relation to China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

The Georgia Meloni government has already informed China in a statement on Wednesday of the termination of the agreement, assuring Beijing that it intends to maintain strategic cooperation.

At a press conference in Rome on Thursday, the Prime Minister said that the large-scale international cooperation program in infrastructure, also known as the New Silk Road, had not achieved the hoped-for results, but that the two countries must continue to improve. Trade and economic relations. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani made a similar statement, saying that the project had not brought significant benefits to Italy.

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Regarding the program, Chinese Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin held a press conference on Thursday, but did not directly comment on Italy’s decision. At the same time, he said, “China firmly rejects the harmful slander of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and opposes the division caused by the confrontation.”

He stated that “representatives of 151 countries and 41 organizations, including Italy, traveled to China to attend the Silk Road Forum in October.”

In 2019, Italy was the only country from the Group of Seven industrial powers (G7) to join the trade and investment project, and the agreement was signed by then Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated in an interview in May this year that good relations with China could be maintained even if Italy did not participate in the programme.

In mid-October, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Beijing to attend the “One Belt, One Road” summit. He never mentioned that he was unhappy with the program.




HVG


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