The Italian minister spoke of cooperation between Syria and Italy in crucial sectors, but EU sanctions imposed over the last decade of conflict remain an obstacle to progress. View on euronews

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa told visiting Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Friday that he was ready to stem "illegal immigration" to Europe, the European diplomat said."Sharaa says he is ready to block illegal immigration,

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is travelling to Syria on Friday to encourage the country’s transition following the ouster of President Bashar Assad by Islamist insurgents, and said Europe should review its sanctions on Damascus now that the political situation has changed.

We want to be a bridge in the new Syria and the EU,' says Antonio Tajani during his visit to Damascus - Anadolu Ajansı

ROME (Reuters) - NATO needs a stronger focus on the south and Africa, Italy's prime minister told a news conference on Thursday, saying Russia might boost its presence in eastern Libya after the collapse of its allied regime in Syria.

Foreign ministers from Italy, France, Germany, Britain and the United States will meet this week over the situation in Syria, Italy said Tuesday.

In phone call with Italian premier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan says lifting sanctions on Syria with Italy taking lead would benefit this process - Anadolu Ajansı

Israel’s military says it carried out new airstrikes in Yemen against what it said were Houthi rebel targets. Its statement Friday said fighter jets struck “on the western coast and inland Yemen,” a day after the Houthis launched three drones at Israel.

Israel’s army confirmed Friday that one of the bodies recovered from Gaza earlier this week was that of 23-year-old hostage Hamzah AlZayadni.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met Syria's new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, the latest European diplomat to visit the country since Bashar al-Assad's fall. Watch this report for more details!

The Kremlin has been discussing Donald Trump's claims that a meeting between him and Vladimir Putin is being set up. Meanwhile, Russian elites are concerned with Vladimir Putin's efforts to wage a full-scale war in Ukraine.