Kerry meets Letta in Rome to discuss Middle East
(ANSA) – Rome, October 23 – Italian President Enrico Letta met United States Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome Wednesday, with the situation in the Middle East on the agenda.
The meeting, which lasted more than one hour and included Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino, may also have touched on controversial allegations that American security services intercepted private communications between foreign citizens.
The issue has stirred complaints in France, where media reports based on leaks from former intelligence analyst Edward Snowden suggest the US National Security Agency (NSA) intercepted millions of phone conversations in France.
Other countries, including Italy, are concerned they may also have been targeted. Italian privacy watchdog Antonello Soro has formally asked the government to report on whether Italian citizens’ communications have also been targeted.
Other topics included progress on peace negotiations in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians, as Kerry was scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu in Rome later on Wednesday, as well as the ongoing violence and political instability in Syria and Libya, and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Seven hours have reportedly been set aside for the meeting with Netanyahu.
Letta held talks Tuesday evening with Netanyahu.