Italy pledges to strengthen national security in 5G networks

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and his most senior ministers agreed on Thursday to take stronger measures to ensure national security in the country’s 5G networks, Conte’s office said after a meeting of the government’s top brass.

The meeting came as the United States mounts pressure on Rome to exclude China’s Huawei from its 5G infrastructures.

Those present at the meeting, including the economy and industry ministers, agreed that it was “an absolute priority to pursue a strategy of technological independence within the European Union framework,” the statement said.

It did not mention the Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies.