(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 8 - Italy's ambassador to Syria and its diplomatic staff at the embassy in Damascus were untouched by rebels who searched the building for regime men early Sunday, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.
    This morning an armed group entered the garden of the ambassador's residence. They took away only 3 cars and that was it. Neither the ambassador nor the carabinieri were touched", he said.
    Tajani, who is also deputy premier, added that on the matter, "since the early hours I have been in contact with (Defence) Minister (Guido) Crosetto and the Prime Minister (Giorgia Meloni)".
    Safeguarding Italian citizens in Syria remains a priority, Tajani stressed after a meeting of the foreign ministry crisis unit at the Farnesina in Rome.
    "It seems to me that it is still unclear who will ultimately manage Syria because it is not a single force, there are multiple forces and now we will see if it will be possible to talk to the new forces that are arriving", but in any case "the priority is to protect our fellow citizens", Tajani said.
    "At this moment, before anything else, we are concerned with ensuring the safety of all those who are present in Syria, the ambassador, the Carabinieri and even the contractors who work for the diplomatic headquarters, then we will see what the situation will be. We will move in harmony with our interlocutors.
    "It is a situation in constant movement.
    "Even compared to the Astana meeting yesterday and this morning, things have changed.
    "We continue to monitor the situation with all our embassies and in constant contact with Palazzo Chigi (Meloni's office) and the Ministry of Defense".
    First comes the "protection of our citizens, then we will talk about the structure of Syria", he added. (ANSA).