D'Alema best candidate for EU chief diplomat: Italian FM
(BUCHAREST) - Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Thursday the country's former prime minister Massimo D'Alema appeared as the best socialist candidate for the European Union's new chief diplomat job.
"I see no other socialist candidate emerging with the same level of support as M. D'Alema," Frattini told AFP on the sidelines of a Central European Initiative meeting.
"I believe he would be a very good high representative for foreign affairs," he added.
"But the ball is now in the court of the Swedish presidency."
D'Alema has been talked about as a strong potential candidate for this job, next in line after British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
But Miliband on Wednesday firmly ruled himself out of the race, saying he wanted to "stay and fight" an imminent election at home.
European leaders will hold a special summit on November 19 to choose the president and the foreign policy chief, both posts created under the new Lisbon reform treaty.
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