Parliament has overwhelmingly backed Italy's participation in the European Union's new Red Sea mission to protect cargo ships in the key trade route, an EU advisory mission to Ukraine and one to create 'maritime corridors' to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The lower house of parliament voted 271-6 in favour of the EU's Italy-led 'Aspides' mission to shield merchant shipping from months-long attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militants. The Senate upper house later approved the mission by 153-0.
Before the vote, Tajani confirmed to lawmakers that 'Aspides', which launched in February, is strictly defensive, but that Italian ships could respond to an attack as occurred on Saturday when the Caio Duilio destroyer downed a Houthi drone in the Bab El Mandeb Strait.
Lawmakers also approved Italy's participation in the EUAM mission to help war-torn EU candidate country Ukraine enact democratic, judicial and governance reforms and rebuild its civil society.
The 'Levante' humanitarian aid mission, which commits Italy to diplomatic action to ensure humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza via 'maritime corridors' was backed unanimously by lawmakers.
