Matteo Renzi

A closely-watched Italian referendum on oil and gas drilling concessions failed to reach the required turnout threshold on April 17, in a win for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi who had urged voters to stay home.

Italy will follow up on billions of euros of trade deals signed with Iran this year by sending a special mission to discuss how to fund and process them, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on April 13 in Tehran.

Speaking to industrialists on the second and last day of his visit, Renzi said some 50 agreements between Italian and Iranian companies "cannot remain on paper."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker releaseed a written statement condemning the terrorist attacks in Brussels, Tuesday. Junkcer expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, expressing his certainty that Europe will able to defeat terrorism in the end.

A fragile truce in Syria must be used to try to secure a lasting peace without President Bashar al-Assad, European leaders told Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 4, according to a spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron. 

Italian author and academic Umberto Eco, who became one of Italy's best-known cultural exports and keenest cultural critics, died in Milan on Feb.

Italy will contribute to a 3 billion euro European Union fund to help Turkey tackle the European migration crisis, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Feb. 1, dropping objections blocking implementation of the plan. 

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has ordered that all nude sculptures on display at the Capitoline Museum should be covered up so as not to offend visiting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Greek classical sculptures as well as Roman masterpieces have been hidden in a bid to seal multi-billion agreements that Rouhani arrived in Rome on Monday to sign.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Jan. 27 he had not asked his Italian hosts to cover up classical nude statues in a Rome museum he visited with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Iran will probably sign contracts with automakers Peugeot and Renault, President Hassan Rouhani said on Jan. 25 as he headed to Europe seeking to capitalise on Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.

Italy is blocking a European Union plan to provide Turkey with 3 billion euros in aid in exchange for a commitment to stem the flow of migrants into Europe, two European officials said on Jan. 14.