Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Friday said Italy deserves respect and support amid the coronavirus emergency.
Speaking at the end of a foreign affairs council in Zagreb, the minister said: "At a European level there is great concern because coronavirus is not just the theme of a single country but will have an international impact, both on a healthcare and economic level".
"What I have stressed to European countries is that Italy deserves respect and maximum support".
"We will not accept any discrimination against Italians", Di Maio said.
"It is very important that Italy's experience on how we are dealing with the coronavirus emergency can be treasured by other European countries", Di Maio said during his speech, according to sources.
Di Maio added that countries demanding that Italian imports carry a 'virus-free' label was "unacceptable.
He also stressed that the foreign ministry's coronavirus crisis unit "is also an anti-discrimination unit".
The foreign ministry added that Europe's response to the virus threat should be "unequivocal and united".
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