The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday, November 20, that the Italian envoy to Syria will officially begin his duties in Damascus.
The Italian envoy to Damascus, Stefano Ravagnan, stated that he will head the Italian diplomatic mission in Syria as Italy’s special envoy to Syria, adding, “I start my work in Damascus with enthusiasm.”
Ravagnan continued in a tweet via the Italian foreign ministry’s account on “X,” “I recognize the difficulty of the crisis, but I know the extent of the contribution that Italy can offer to the Syrian people.”
The Italian envoy added, “I know I can rely on a strong network, thanks to many NGOs that have been working there for years, as well as the archaeological missions that continued their work, but I also know, and I am proud of this, that I can rely on the feelings of friendship that the Syrian people hold.”
Ravagnan was born in 1967 and holds a law degree from the University of Padova in Italy. He began his diplomatic career in 1993, according to the Italian AISE agency.
In 2014, he was the ambassador to Italy in Kazakhstan, and in 2021 he became the special envoy of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Syria at a distance and was a coordinator within the International Coalition to combat the Islamic State group.
The Italian embassy in Damascus closed its doors in protest against the Syrian regime’s suppression of protests in Syria in 2011.
However, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that the Italian diplomatic mission has never been closed, although there were no diplomats, and the chargé d’affaires was in Beirut, as reported by the local Al-Watan newspaper.
Last July, Italy decided to appoint an envoy to reside in Damascus, marking the first move after European countries called for a reassessment of relations with Syria and communication with the regime, including Italy.
The appointment of the Italian envoy in Damascus was made “to highlight” the country, according to Foreign Minister Tajani, as reported by Reuters.
On July 22, Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia called for a reassessment of relations with Syria and communication with the regime.
In October, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated before the Italian Senate that it is essential to review the European Union’s strategy regarding Syria and work with all active parties to create the necessary conditions for the voluntary, safe, and sustainable return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
On the 12th of this month, the Syrian consulate in Rome announced the commencement of consular services for members of the Syrian community.