EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell took the initiative to create the post of the Special European Union Envoy for the Gulf region in July 2022. He called on member states to nominate their candidates for the new post, stressing the need for the bloc to maintain close contacts with the Gulf countries after the EU decided to limit its dependence on Russian energy supplies.
Di Maio will be appointed to the new post for "an initial period of 21 months, starting from June 1, 2023, to February 28, 2025," the report said, citing a letter that Borrell sent to the members of the EU Political and Security Committee on Friday.
Borrell said in his letter that Di Maio "has the necessary political profile at the international level for this role" and that "his extensive contacts with the countries of the Persian Gulf will allow him to interact with interested parties at the appropriate level," the newspaper added.
Di Maio served as Italian foreign minister from 2019-2022. In June 2022, Di Maio announced that he had decided to leave the Five Star Movement party due to disagreements with the party's leadership over the Ukraine crisis.