Italy FM hails progress in war on IS

ROME, Feb 2 (KUNA) -- Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni stressed on Tuesday the significance of progress made in the international fight against the so-called Islamic State (IS).
Speaking at a meeting of the anti-IS coalition held in Rome today, the Italian minister emphasized that the power of this "terrorist group" should not be belittled, adding that it now threatening Iraq, Syria, Libya and sub-Saharan Africa.
Gentiloni noted that the IS had lost 40 percent of lands in Iraq and 20 percent in Syria in 2015, calling for more concerted military, economic and military efforts.
On his part, US Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the gathering by vowing that the coalition fighting the IS would prevail.
"The world expects security from us and we'll destroy the ISIS," Kerry added.
Nearly two dozen nations are gathering to plot their fight against the militant group in Syria and Iraq and how to stop its rise in Libya.
Apart from Italy and the US, Kuwait, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, UK, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Jordan, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UAE, EU, and UN are attending the meeting.
The gathering takes place as talks have begun in Geneva to try to end the five-year Syrian civil war, which has killed at least 250,000 people, driven more than 10 million from their homes. (end) mn.mt