No criticism of Spain on EMA (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, November 21 - Foreign ministry sources on Tuesday denied Italy was criticising Spain over its vote for Amsterdam over Milan as future site of the European Medicines Agency. "There is no criticism on Italy's part towards the Spanish government," they said, stressing that "the choices of each country were all, obviously, legitimate".
    Earlier Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni claimed that Premier Paolo Gentiloni was "very angry" with Spain after Amsterdam was awarded the EMA instead of Milan. The Dutch capital got the agency, which is leaving London due to Brexit, after lots were drawn, as the final vote ended in a 13-13 tie. "He said Spain voted for Amsterdam as rivalry, spite prevailed over strategy," Maroni said, stressing that he had spoken to Gentiloni on the telephone. "It'll mean that we will support Catalonia more strongly in its request for autonomy and independence". Maroni went on to say that the presence of Gentiloni or Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano in Brussels might have made the difference before the vote came down to a tie-break.
    "Between the second and third vote, when someone needed to be there and we just needed two (more) votes, if the premier or the foreign minister had been there it might have gone differently," he said.
    "Perhaps a more authoritative presence would have made the difference".
    Spanish Foreign Minister Alfredo Dastis on Tuesday denied there had been a deal that Madrid allegedly welched on.
    "We spoke with Italy on the possibility of an accord, but we didn't reach any deal," he said. "So we went ahead in respecting our commitments", he said.
    After Dasti's denial, Maroni said he would like to know "what requests from Madrid Italy said no to".
    He said this would be "out of curiosity, without recriminations".