Italy in talks with U.N. on food summit

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, SEPT. 3. The spectre of violent demonstrations by anti- globalisation activists and dissident groups during the scheduled summit of Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) continues to haunt the Italian Government.

The authorities in Rome today revealed that it had talked to United Nations on moving the November summit of the FAO from its headquarters in Rome to either a smaller and obscure but well- secured town in Italy or to a distant suburb of Rome.

The Government also revealed that the annual summit of NATO scheduled for Sept. 26 and 27 would also be moved to a smaller town near Naples. With its decision to shift the two summit venues, the Government is widely seen as ``giving in'' to anti- globalisation protesters.

Earlier, the Prime Minister, Mr. Silvio Berlusconi, tried to move the FAO summit to Africa and proposed Nairobi in Kenya as a suitable venue. This was criticised by senior U.N. officials. The Italian authorities argued that according to the latest opinion polls, the overwhelming majority of Italians were against holding of international conferences in their cities. The average European is horrified by media images depicting rabble- rousers and masked protesters throwing stones and bottles through a clouds of tear gas amid smashed shop door fronts and never ending violent scuffles with police.

The centre-right Government has decided to opt for a damage limitation exercise by opting for a smaller and obscure summit venue to face the security challenges posed by protesters.

The Italian authorities may shift the NATO summit from Naples because 65 per cent of Italians disapprove of the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush's controversial plans for a nuclear missile defence. Many of them would protest at the summit.

Recently, Lord Robertson, NATO's Secretary General expressed astonishment at the idea that a military summit could ``pushed around'' by a few hundred protesters. Today, the reality is that protesters have managed to push the NATO summit to the small town of Pozzuoli.

The NATO summit is technically hosted by the Italian Government and the venue is at its discretion. But the FAO summit at its Rome headquarters has extraterritorial status similar to that of the United Nations in New York. Hence, U.N. officials are obviously piqued over the Berlusconi Government's proposal to shift the summit venue.

An Italian Minister vowed the other day that his country would not allow Rome to be ``sacked by barbarians''.

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Section  : International
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