Italian Government Requests EU Member States to Open Borders Starting from the 15th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Italy, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Europe and currently the country with the third highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Europe, has repeatedly requested the European Union (EU) to lift border controls to allow its citizens to move freely within the EU.

According to major foreign media, Luigi Di Maio, Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed his intention to lift border controls during a press conference held on the 6th (local time) while visiting neighboring Slovenia.

Minister Di Maio mentioned that Germany and Switzerland have decided to open their borders to Italians starting from the 15th, emphasizing that such measures should apply to all regions, including Lombardy in the north, which is the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. Slovenia also showed a positive response to opening the border, noting that the situation in Italy is rapidly improving.

Earlier, the EU recommended a full reopening of borders between member states starting from the 15th to normalize the tourism industry.

The Slovenian Foreign Minister also expressed a positive response to opening the border on the 15th, citing the rapid improvement of the situation in Italy. Previously, the EU recommended a full reopening of borders between member states from the 15th to normalize the tourism industry during the summer vacation season.

Accordingly, Italy opened its borders with EU member states and Schengen Agreement signatories on the 3rd. Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands also announced that they would open their borders to some or all EU member states starting on the 15th. However, some countries remain reluctant to open their borders to Italy.

As of the 6th, Italy's cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases stands at 234,801, ranking seventh after the United States, Brazil, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and India. The death toll is 33,846, ranking fourth after the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. Italy reported 270 new confirmed cases and 72 new deaths in one day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.