Good afternoon everyone.

Thank you for being here. We have had a very wide-ranging and very fruitful meeting with Austrian Chancellor Nehammer today, whom I am very pleased to host here in Rome, at Palazzo Chigi.

For us, continuous cooperation with Austria is essential, being states that are both [EU] Member States but also neighbouring states, in terms of both our bilateral cooperation, which continues to grow at all levels, and, of course, within the European Union. At the European Council meetings I have attended, with Chancellor Nehammer we have often found ourselves on the same page, with the same vision. Our history and our geography would of course prevent us from doing otherwise, but a personal rapport has also been created that I am very happy about.

We are two nations that are suffering the strong pressure of migration flows and this has been one of the issues that Austria and Italy have worked together on in recent months, and intend to cooperate even further. An important European Council meeting will be held in June, during which the European Commission will be called upon to present the paradigm shift in a more concrete way, along with the instruments relating to that paradigm shift that we have asked for together, regarding defence of the Union’s external borders, European management of migration flows, attention to all routes, including the Mediterranean route, including the maritime route which clearly cannot be dealt with in the same way as the others; all routes and all the European Union’s external borders must be defended. We are working together on this and we will do so even more in the coming weeks. We certainly have a great synergy. 

We have spoken about how Europe has to work during this difficult phase in order to ensure security also in the economic domain.

Covid and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine have changed the geopolitical and economic scenario and this must be taken into consideration as we define the new rules for the Stability and Growth Pact.

Europe has set itself major goals, and we share those goals: the energy transition, the green transition, but also support for Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression is one of our priorities. With respect to the proposal we have seen from the Commission, we think that the investments required for these strategies must be taken into consideration. In my view, it would be short-sighted to choose to focus on the green transition, on the digital transition, on the European Union having greater capacity to invest in its defence, and then not take these priorities into consideration when calculating the deficit-to-GDP ratio in the new European governance rules.

Our geographical position brings important challenges and opportunities, but also some difficulties that we have encountered over the years and which I believe can be overcome through frank dialogue among friends who want to solve problems. I am thinking, for example, of the issue of HGV traffic restrictions in Austria: we have spoken about this; they clearly penalise the strong economic relations between two of Europe’s most important industrial systems, namely Italy and Germany. We are continuing to work to find a shared solution to this, as of course should be the case between nations that are friends and neighbours. I am happy with the openness that allows us to discuss complex issues with Chancellor Nehammer, issues that have been with us for a long time, and also for the excellent bilateral dialogue that continues between Italy and Austria, with frequent visits to the respective capitals. It will be my pleasure to visit Austria as soon as possible to reciprocate this most welcome visit. Our economic and commercial relations are very positive and there are further prospects for growth. Trade between our nations exceeded EUR 28 billion in 2022, and Italy is Austria’s second largest trading partner after Germany.

We are united by four strategic infrastructures of European significance, and we of course intend to also enhance these infrastructures, leading to another important part of our cooperation: energy. Europe is facing an energy situation which, as we all know, is complex; Italy has done a great job of freeing itself from its dependence on Russia, but we must look ahead. The Government is working on transforming Italy into a sort of energy supply hub for Europe. As you can well understand, Austria plays a key role in this strategy due to both its closeness and its geo-strategic position. This is therefore another element we are ready to work on together. Among other things, this element also involves African countries and can therefore create a virtuous cycle in addressing the issue of migration flows too.

For centuries in Europe, geographical proximity involved a lack of comprehension between nation-states, if not war: this is no longer the case, it no longer has to be like that. In this regard, I think the model of coexistence that has been created in South Tyrol is a point of reference for many. I believe that Italy has done an excellent job of protecting and promoting linguistic minorities, and I believe this is another element that strengthens our friendship.

In conclusion, we have also spoken with Chancellor Nehammer, as always, about Ukraine and how to continue providing comprehensive support for the Ukrainian cause, all together. We hosted a conference on reconstruction last week, because we are betting on Ukraine’s victory, on a European future for the Ukrainian people, on a future of freedom and peace.

So, thank you Chancellor for being here, thank you for our solid relationship, thank you for our friendship.

[Courtesy translation]