Renzi denounces 'genocide' in Iraq, Syria before NATO meets

Italian premier to join world leaders in Wales

(ANSA) - Rome, September 3 - Premier Matteo Renzi said Wednesday that NATO leaders will discuss ways to deal with the "genocide" occurring in Syria and Iraq at an upcoming summit. Renzi will be among 60 world leaders at the summit that begins Thursday in Wales. The situation in Ukraine is also high on the agenda and officials say leaders will discuss plans for training and deployments in the Baltic countries, Poland, Romania and other Eastern European nations.

A NATO exercise involving nine countries including Italy started Tuesday in Poland, Germany and the Baltic nations of Estonia and Lithuania. The large-scale multinational exercise named Steadfast Javelin II aimed at reassuring eastern European countries will end next Monday, NATO sources said. It involves hundreds of vehicles, aircraft, and forces from nine different countries including the United States and Canada, NATO command sources said.