Italian Defense Minister: President Barzani Plays a Major Leadership Role in Advancing Peace
Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said President Masoud Barzani plays a major national and regional leadership role in advancing peace, noting Italy’s active diplomatic efforts and Barzani’s Vatican meeting with Pope Louis XIV.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Standing before reporters, Italy’s defense minister drew a clear line between leadership, responsibility, and peace, describing President Masoud Barzani as a central national and regional figure while condemning violence against the Kurdish people and calling for an end to Syria’s internal wars as a condition for normalization.
Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto underscored the political and diplomatic significance of President Masoud Barzani during a press conference, describing him as a key leader whose influence extends beyond formal office and plays a vital role in consolidating peace and stabilizing the region.
“President Barzani’s role is very large and influential. He does not appear only as a president, but as a national and regional leader,” Crosetto said.
The Italian defense minister noted that President Barzani remains in continuous contact with all relevant parties, with the aim of reinforcing peace and easing tensions across the region, describing these engagements as essential amid heightened instability.
Crosetto also addressed the ongoing violence affecting Kurdish communities, stating plainly: “The images we’ve seen of violence against the Kurdish people are unacceptable.”
Linking stability to political accountability, he stressed that normalization with Damascus requires an end to internal conflict. “If Syria wants a normalization process, it must end its internal wars,” he said.
Turning to Italy’s diplomatic role, Crosetto said Rome is working with seriousness and determination to bring wider international focus to peace efforts in Syria. He explained: “Italy’s task is to ensure that the United States, the European Union, the Arab nations, Turkey—that is, all the nations that have an interest in Syria right now—concentrate on bringing peace to Syria as well.”
He added that Italy’s position is not isolated, emphasizing continuous dialogue with other countries because “the stability of this region is not only important to us, but carries geopolitical significance for all parties.”
Crosetto also reaffirmed Italy’s long-standing relationship with the Kurdistan Region. “The relationship we have with Kurdistan, with the Kurdistan Region, is a deep one, one that dates back a long time,” he said. He highlighted the specific military partnership, noting: “In particular, the relationship we have with the Peshmerga and the aid Italy has given to the Peshmerga continues and will continue to grow ever stronger.”
A day earlier, on Wednesday, President Masoud Barzani was received at the Vatican by His Holiness Pope Louis XIV.
According to a statement issued by the Barzani Headquarters, Pope Louis XIV extended a warm welcome to President Barzani. Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the meeting, viewing it as an opportunity to exchange views on important regional and global issues.
During the meeting, President Barzani and Pope Louis XIV expressed hope that peace and stability would prevail worldwide and that suffering and hardship endured by peoples would come to an end.
Following the meeting, Pope Louis XIV and President Barzani exchanged commemorative gifts.
Through remarks in Rome and engagements at the Vatican, Italian officials and religious leaders alike highlighted President Barzani’s standing as a central figure in ongoing efforts aimed at dialogue, peace, and regional stability.