Fanfani’s Move Accepted

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30947, 31 December 1965, Page 13

Fanfani’s Move Accepted

(N Z. Press Association—Copyright)

ROME, Dec. 30.

The Italian Prime Minister, Mr Aldo Moro, last night accepted the resignation of Professor Amintore Fanfani as Foreign Minister in a major political storm, the Associated Press reported.

Professor Fanfani had told the Prime Minister he was stepping down, and Mr Moro at once asked him to reconsider. But Professor Fanfani rejected the request. Tonight Mr Moro sent him a message saying: “With great regret I acknowledge your decision to hold firm in your resignaion as Foreign Minister.” The Prime Minister thanked Professor Fanfani for his work for the Italian Government

“during this difficult period so full of important events for the security and peace of the world.”

Professor Fanfani’s resigna-

tion does not affect his post as president of the U.N. General Assembly. Until Mr Moro’s acceptance, there had still been a chance Professor Fanfani might decide to stay on after going before Parliamentary critics on January 5 to explain his involvement with his friend, Giorgio La Pira, in La Pira’s controversial Hanoi peacefeeler affair. Professor Fanfani can now devote his attention to a powerful opposition faction inside the Christian Democrat Party. There was mounting speculation that this was precisely what Professor Fanfani wanted. He pioneered the Socialist-Christian Democrat coalition that Mr Moro now heads in the centre-left Government. Professor Fanfani heads a Left-wing faction that regards Mr Moro as too cautious.