Gianni de Michelis, who served as minister in a number of Italian governments through 1980s and early 1990s, has died.
Well-known for his trademark locks, de Michelis served as Italian Foreign Minister and signed, among other things, the Maastricht Treaty.
He had formally accepted Malta’s application to join the European Union from then Foreign Minister Guido de Marco in July 1990.
He served as a member of the European Parliament until 2009.
The Venetian was 78 years old.