Italian Prime Minister Says Rome Declaration 'Step Forward' for EU

The Rome Declaration signed Saturday is an important step in the right direction, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said at a press conference held in the follow-up to the EU summit in Rome.

ROME (Sputnik) – Earlier in the day, leaders of 27 EU member states signed a declaration on challenges and priorities of the bloc post-Brexit at the summit, devoted to the 60th anniversary of Treaty of Rome, the founding treaty of the European Union.

This [declaration] does represent a step forward and can constitute a solid basis over the coming years in order to move in a direction which will help us confirm our values, objectives, our unity and also the importance of moving when necessary with forms of enhanced cooperation," Gentiloni said.

Speaking about a the steps, expected to be made within a year period, Gentiloni believes headways will be made in establishing commitments on common European defense as well as on economic and social policy.

"I do believe that we have renewed our trust in a common project with the symbolic act of signing the declaration … Some people will deem it to be overambitious, some will deem it to be not ambitious enough," Gentiloni added.

On March 11, European Council President Donald Tusk stressed the necessity to preserve mutual trust and unity in the context of the Brexit negotiations. UK Prime Minister Theresa May is set to trigger the Article 50 of the EU Lisbon Treaty to start the Brexit talks on March 29.

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