Rome: Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister of Italy, thinks there is "ample room" for his country to further deepen its alliances with all Gulf countries.

Tajani, who is also the deputy prime minister of Italy, was scheduled to meet with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE's minister of foreign affairs, on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

According to him, his visit was "another step towards a stronger, more successful and mutually beneficial cooperation" between Italy and the UAE.

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According to him, the UAE was the first country in the Gulf with which Italy had established "a strategic framework for a partnership," and as his nation's top trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa region, the UAE was "a central actor within the enlarged Mediterranean."

Both countries, according to the minister, are "firmly committed to promoting a global approach to the migration phenomenon, in the awareness that the fight against irregular flows and human trafficking requires a shared effort by all the countries concerned."

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"Furthermore, we have been in constant contact with the UAE leadership on the major regional dossiers, starting with Libya and Tunisia, two countries that are going through particularly difficult times and where we intend to play a leading role in coming up with sustainable, long-term solutions," he added.

On the economic front, Tajani emphasised that, in accordance with the terms of a contract signed with the UAE in March, the Italian government intended to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

He continued that Italian exports rose at a record rate in 2022, with bilateral trade between Italy and the UAE valued at about 8 billion euros ($8.74 billion).

Jewellery continued to be the top industry, followed by industrial machinery, electrical goods, agri-food products, and automobiles. The Italian business community in the UAE was also strong.

There are about 600 businesses operating in the transportation, infrastructure, and energy industries. We want to take advantage of numerous opportunities for new partnerships, particularly in the areas of innovation, space exploration, and environmental sustainability, according to Tajani.

He emphasised that the UAE government's 2021 initiative, Investopia Europe, was attended by Abdulla bin Touq Al-Marri, the minister of economy for the Emiratis, on May 19 in Milan.

"This initiative provided a significant window of opportunity for Italian businesses to accept new investment proposals and sign contracts with the most influential UAE sector leaders.

"My trip to Abu Dhabi and my meeting with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan are another step in the direction of a more robust, fruitful, and beneficial cooperation.

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"The region greatly values our commitment to stability and security. Since we frequently get requests for more Italy there, we feel special even when compared to our other European partners, he continued.

The government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently reopened communication with all Gulf nations.

Tajani stated: "We are strengthening our ties with the UAE, our top trading partner in the MENA region, and Prime Minister Meloni spoke on the phone with the Saudi Crown Prince. We also hosted the emir of Qatar in Rome.

In the fields of renewable energy and the green transition, as well as in the economic, cultural, scientific, and technological fields, he continued, "there is ample room to further strengthen our partnerships with all the countries in the area.

He said the goals could be met "by deepening our friendship and mutual understanding with those countries, which also involves the progressive strengthening of contacts among our peoples and civil societies."