Good morning everyone,

Many thanks to the British Embassy in Rome and the British Council for organising, also this year, the traditional Pontignano Conference, one of the symbols of the historic friendship between Italy and the United Kingdom.

Our Nations are pillars of the transatlantic community and play a leading role in the international scenario. I am thinking, for instance, of the unwavering support we have ensured to Ukraine from day one of the Russian war of aggression and the joint effort we are making to put an end to the conflict and offer the Ukrainian people a peaceful future. We are also at the forefront of international efforts for de-escalation in the Middle East, in the shared belief that a lasting solution to the crisis lies in the Two-State solution for two peoples. The announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon is a very positive development, which we warmly welcome. Italy is determined to make its own contribution to the stabilisation of the Israeli-Lebanese border, both through our soldiers in UNIFIL and in the framework of international support to the Lebanese armed forces with the ltalian-led Military Technical Committee for Lebanon initiative.

On 16 September this year, I was very pleased to receive Prime Minister Starmer in Rome and sign a joint declaration aiming to strengthen our strategic relationship. We want to further enhance our cooperation on foreign policy and defence, further strengthen our economic relations, and find new points of contact on security and the fight against crime, starting with the fight against illegal migration. Italy and the United Kingdom share the same approach. We need to systematise the efforts we are making both nationally and together with our partners to fight human traffickers and tackle the root causes of migration, including with a renewed focus on Africa and a new model of peer-to-peer cooperation. We also agree that we should not be afraid to explore innovative solutions, such as the one Italy has launched with Albania to process asylum applications in extra-EU territory.

Our industrial and trade relations already share a very positive dynamic; there is certainly room to do even better, and we must work to support – as much as possible – exports, investments and collaboration in crucial fields, ranging from energy to Artificial Intelligence to defence. A key element of this cooperation is the Global Combat Air Programme, an initiative of strategic importance in both political and industrial terms. We also intend to enhance our cooperation on other fronts, starting with the cultural and scientific ones. We are indeed working to develop new opportunities for education and exchange between Italian and British students.

The Pontignano Conference is 32 years old and takes place at a particularly favourable time for our bilateral relations. If Italy and the United Kingdom continue to strengthen their partnership, I am confident that the results of this common endeavour will be decisive in addressing the great challenges of our time.

Good work and a successful conference!