Italy welcomes the announcement of the historic agreement to normalise relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.
"We hope that this important step will contribute to peace and stability in the Middle East," said the statement.
"In this framework, the Israeli decision to suspend the annexation of portions of the West Bank is a positive development, which we hope will facilitate the resumption of direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians aiming at a just, sustainable and lasting two-state solution," the statement went on.
"Italy continues to strongly support this as the only alternative to ensure peace and prosperity throughout the region," the statement concluded.
Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are expected the sign the deal in three weeks' time, normalising relations between the two countries, including opening embassies in each other's territory.
