Italy rejects war "as an offensive weapon against the freedom of other peoples and as a means of settling international disputes", president Sergio Mattarella said in a speech on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of the devastating World War II Battle of Monte Cassino.
Article 11 of Italy's post-war constitution commits Italy to "building bridges of dialogue, of cooperation with other nations, with respect for all peoples," Mattarella underlined.
"To mark a tragedy, a battle as bloody as that of Cassino...is also a call to cease, everywhere, the firing of weapons, to re-establish hope for peace, for the restoration of violated rights and the dignity afforded to every community.
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