Still 'margin for political solution' to Ukraine crisis, FM

(ANSA) - Rome, November 6 - There is still a margin for finding a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine, Italy's new Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Thursday.
    "Italy's position is clear, namely respect for the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine," Gentiloni told the inter-parliamentary conference on common foreign, security and defence policy in the Senate.
    "It is for this reason that we did not recognise the elections in Donbas and supported sanctions against Moscow," continued the minister.
    On Sunday the self-proclaimed pro-Russian breakaway eastern Ukraine regions of Donetsk and Luhansk held controversial presidential elections that were supported by Russia, but which Kiev and the West have condemned as illegal. "There is still room for a political solution," continued Gentiloni, saying however that this was linked to the maintenance of Italy's "firm" position and to the "willingness to dialogue with countries such as Russia". Gentiloni was sworn in last Friday as foreign minister to replace Federica Mogherini, who left the post Friday to become the European Union's new high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.
    Gentiloni and Mogherini are both senior members of Premier Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD). Gentiloni, 59, served as communications minister in Romano Prodi's 2006-2008 government.