Italian PM cancels visit to Cyprus following car ramming attack in Modena

Giorgia Meloni had to cancel her planned trip to Cyprus to immediately travel to the northern Italian city of Modena following an incident in which a car reportedly drove into a group of pedestrians.

Meloni will be joined in Modena by the Italian President Sergio Mattarella, according to an announcement from the Italian government cited by Caliber.Az.

The PM had originally been scheduled to meet with the President of Cyprus on May 17. The visit was planned after her trip to Greece, where she attended the first Europe-Gulf Forum in Navarino alongside several Gulf state leaders.

Eight people were injured on May 16 after a car allegedly rammed into pedestrians in the northern Italian city. Police have arrested the driver, who authorities say also allegedly attempted to stab a passerby who tried to prevent him from fleeing the scene. According to the city’s mayor, the suspect is an Italian citizen born in Bergamo and of North African origin, currently residing in the Modena area.

By Nazrin Sadigova