G8 Research Group

Italy has been awarded a score of 1 for its three-fold agenda on regional security. With regards to Iran, the communiqué emphasized that, while Iran  has a “right to a civilian nuclear program,” the G8 stood firm on its position that Iran must satisfy the international community of the “peaceful nature” of its nuclear program. The G8 emphasized that its goal in taking a firm stance against Iran is to “persuade Iran’s leaders to engage in a transparent dialogue” – a position that, despite the lack of an explicit reference to sanctions, is in line with Italy’s desire to promote a “dual-track approach” with regards to Iran. Moreover, the communiqué emphasized the importance of augmenting the ability of the IAEA to monitor Iran’s civilian nuclear program. On the issue of the Middle East process, the G8 expressed its support for the “proximity talks” between Israel and the Palestinians, “urging” them to “create conditions conducive for direct talks” – echoing the Italian position on the matter.  Finally, with regards to Afghanistan, the G8 stated that the non-military aspects such as the “provision of basic services and governance” needed to be “reinforced,” adding that it supported the “transition strategy” adopted this year by members of the International Security Assistance Force – which includes Italy.