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Speech by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, at the 17th Conference of Messieurs and Mesdames the Ambassadors of Italy

PdR Conferenza Ambasciatori 2024

Mister Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,

Mister Deputy Minister,

Madam and Monsieur Undersecretaries,

Mesdames and Messieurs the Ambassadors,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you Minister Tajani for your invitation to open the seventeenth edition of this Conference.

We are living in a period of great uncertainty on the international front.

The world, exhausted from the pandemic – which had nonetheless given shape to forms of solidarity among the States that raised the hope they could be reproduced at a general political level – has not taken the road towards cooperation.

On the contrary, it appears to be marked by the proliferation of conflicts, and by a race towards fragmentation, also economic.

Multilateral institutions have difficulty in acting effectively.

Transnational and non-conventional threats, both in the field of energy and of the environment, make the picture worse.

Also the drama of migration is sometimes weaponized by some States, turning it into a threat to neighbouring countries, in open violation of freely undersigned international conventions.

We are now faced with the paradox of an ever more interconnected and interdependent global society that is going through a phase again echoing the obsolete recipes of the heralds of nationalistic, ethnic and arbitrary religious sectarism.

Deep divides and divisions multiply.

It comes natural to wonder how diplomacy stands in this context, vis-à-vis attitudes and forces – also of a non-State nature – that aim to undermine the framework of norms and principles established to assure stable and orderly interactions to the members of the international community according to rules recognized to be valid for all.

It is not the first time in history that States are questioned as to their capacity to pursue and guarantee the interests of their people and therefore of their citizens.

This issue acquires new topicality with the emergence of international players that are unconnected to any homeland, whose financial power now exceeds that of medium-sized States and whose management of basic services often comes close to becoming a monopoly.

Renewing our confidence in diplomacy and in highly professional diplomats is not merely a formulaic laudatory exercise but a call for responsibility.

Year after year, my presence at this recurring event aims to testify the extent to which the security and prosperity of the Republic depends also on the competence and dedication with which you perform your function, sometimes in extremely critical situations.

I am therefore happy to have the opportunity, through the Chiefs of Mission present here today, to once again express my appreciation for those operating in the diplomatic and consular network.

Diplomacy – the patient exercise of weaving strategic decisions – is of course an instrument, a projection of the specific values of the community that it represents, which, in our case, are the principles enshrined in the Constitution that inspire the presence of Italy in the world.

In mature democracies, foreign policy is a reason for a natural convergence among the different opinions that enliven public debate.

In Italy, it was a process that gradually took hold over the decades, after the lesson learned from De Gasperi.

The European Union and the Atlantic Alliance, as the Minister recalled earlier, mark and have deeply marked the position of the Republic on the international scene. From the coherence of these decisions has largely stemmed the authoritativeness that Italy conquered through the Country’s moral and material reconstruction in the wake of its Liberation.

As I just said, the stability of our position can be found in the principles laid down in Articles 10 and 11 of the Constitution, that we all know well: the right of asylum of foreigners who are denied democratic freedoms in their own Countries; the rejection of war; the pursuit of peace and justice between Nations, also through the limitation of sovereignty, in conditions of equality between States.

This formed the basis for the integration of Europe, for international Conventions, and for the ensuing Courts of Justice to assure the enforcement of legal rules.

Thus, the relentless effort of our action always aimed at preventing conflicts, developing solutions capable of rebuilding the capital of trust between States, now dangerously eroded. This enabled the Republic to acquire influence and credibility in numerous multilateral organizations, first and foremost the United Nations, a largely imperfect, albeit valuable, instrument.

The patient and resolute pursuit of peace, defending unalienable human rights, and the capacity to find a synthesis between the positions of our major partners on priority issues of the global agenda, are evident in the efforts made also by the Presidency of the G7 this past year.

Overall, in the activities performed, Italy has proven to combine its self-aware and self-determined international position with the capacity to interpret the sensitivity of Countries that sometimes turn out to have different sensitivities, interests, development levels or cultural backgrounds.

Honourable Minister,

Mesdames and Messieurs the Ambassadors,

the serious situations of conflict that have stricken our neighbours, as well as numerous other regions around the world, place security and stability at the centre of our concerns.

Therefore, going back to investing human and intellectual resources in diplomacy’s function of intermediation is extremely useful.

The rough path first towards pacification and subsequently towards peace, is full of contradictions, backlashes, renewed propositions and frequent stops.

Suffice it to think of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

The agreement that we welcomed only a few days ago essentially reproposes the provisions made in Resolution1701 of 2006, which was passed by the United Nations Security Council and never fully enforced.

On that basis – albeit too frail to affect the deep-set causes of the conflict – tenacious negotiators have been able to trigger a positive dynamic, also by relaunching the role of the United Nations UNIFIL Mission.

Diplomacy knows the priceless value of the small-steps process.

The results achieved in Lebanon lead us to hope for an opportunity of hope in Gaza.

We need to finally obtain the immediate release of Israeli hostages.

We need to put an end to the unhuman suffering of the Strip’s civil population and immediately provide it with adequate aid.

This means not limiting ourselves to taking solutions that are contingent, albeit precious, as they make it possible to save human lives.

Mediating does not mean giving up ambitious goals.

Looking at Palestine, we should firmly reaffirm that, for the Italian Republic, the real prospect for the future resides in the two-State solution.

It is a prospect that has no alternative option, as was recalled by the Ministers of the region at the Rome MED Dialogues, a valuable forum developed by the Italian Foreign Ministry, not only to promote dialogue but also to weave relations capable of contributing to enhancing understanding and stabilizing scenarios in such a complex region.

Pursuing the soon-to-come occurrence of a Palestinian State means offering the people of the West Bank and Gaza an horizon of justice and a convincing prospect of hope for their future, the unwaivable condition also for the finally and solidly guaranteed security of Israel.

Equally firmly we shall need to support the development of the State that will emerge out of the new situation in Syria, both politically and in terms of the humanitarian consequences.

The war in Ukraine is about to enter its third year. In more than 1000 days of conflict, the Russian Federation has continuously resorted to instruments of death against Ukraine’s civil population and infrastructure.

The appearance on the field of other players providing combat troops extends the conflict, provokes alarm also in areas that are remote from the theatre of war and raise fears of an uncontrolled outcome.

Italy shall continue to work towards assuring compliance with essential parameters such as the respect for international law; Ukraine’s territorial integrity; the principle of nuclear security; the release of prisoners of war; the return to their families of the Ukrainian children kidnapped and brought to Russia; safe access to the ports of the Black Sea and of the Sea of Azov, also with a view to benefiting food security at global level.

Peace requires the contribution of everybody, especially of world powers, because global are the responsibilities they hold and global are the consequences of the attack against international legality perpetrated by the Russian Federation.

In the meanwhile, Ukraine will be able to count on our firm military, economic, diplomatic and humanitarian support, in addition to the guarantees introduced in the bilateral agreement with Kiev.

Europe’s perspective is the one chosen by Ukraine, knowing they can count on Italy’s support in this respect.

After all, faced with the tragedy of war along its own borders, it was precisely the European Union that found the strength and unity to react compactly thanks to instruments and measures that would have been unimaginable only a few years ago.

We must build on this experience and not waste it, continuing on the road towards the unification of Europe through the accession of the Western Balkan Countries and by effectively relaunching the EU’s Neighbourhood Policies and its instruments, starting with the Union for the Mediterranean, which is due to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025.

These are tests that await the European institutions following the new mandate that they have been assigned by citizens through the election of the new European Parliament.

As we see it, an effective diplomacy for peace must pass through the role played by the European Union and, within its scope, through the active contribution of Italy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

diplomacy, in its most authentic expression, is the bulwark of peace, as peace is the bulwark of development.

Law 125 of 2014 defines cooperation activities as “an integral and qualifying part” of our foreign policy. This recognition is at the same time the acknowledgment of what development cooperation has always been – namely the indispensable instrument to promote a balanced and equitable growth throughout the world – and the indication that defines it as the “qualifying” element integrated into the projection of Italy worldwide.

The law sets forth the goals of cooperation as the struggle against poverty, the prevention of conflicts, the consolidation of democratic institutions, and the promotion of sustainability parameters.

This link between development, Rule of Law and peace fosters an equalitarian relationship founded on concepts of interdependence and partnership.

These are the goals of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the Pact for the Future, to be achieved with the contribution of our Cooperation Service involving a multitude of actors from civil society in addition to, naturally, the UN system of agencies.

There are many examples of this cooperation. The Food for Gaza Program was implemented in collaboration with the three Rome-based UN agencies to mitigate one of today’s most outrageous humanitarian tragedies. Initiatives such as this and others are compounded with the Piano Mattei, a broad-reaching plan to maximise Italy’s contribution to the development of the African continent.

 

Mister Minister, Mister Deputy Minister, Messieurs Secretaries of State,

Mesdames and Messieurs the Ambassadors,

diplomacy – and especially the Chief of Mission – is the subject called upon to synthesize the complexity projected by Italy Inc. in the Country in which he/she works.

It applies to his/her role in support of commercial and investment initiatives, especially in contexts in which contacts with local institutions can be a determining factor.

Economic diplomacy – for a Country that has historically founded its development on exports – remains the centrepiece of an effective internationalization strategy.

It applies to the promotion of our immense artistic, cultural and linguistic heritage.

The educational activities of our Italian schools abroad, inter-University agreements, and scientific and artistic relations, represent unmatchable conduits for friendship.

Nor can we underestimate the reach and assistance assured to our communities abroad as well as to the community of citizens of Italian descent who continue to consider our Country a point of reference, although being soundly integrated into the societies that welcomed them.

In my many encounters abroad, I always found great interest and curiosity for Italy and for what it expresses.

Intercultural dialogue is a powerful tool, the value of which is not always fully understood. Culture creates profound, strong and enduring ties, free of reasons of convenience or political or economic tensions.

Therefore, we certainly need more cultural diplomacy in order to develop the soft power expressed by Italy’s immense cultural heritage, thus enhancing the Country’s power of appeal.

 

Mesdames and Messieurs the Ambassadors,

I began by recalling the great challenges and the world’s current situation which sweeps across our society.

One of the most characteristic features of our current situation is undoubtedly the growing impact of international relations on our lives at all levels.

Globalization and digitalization have made the world much more interconnected and interdependent and have brought closer its different parts.

If, on the one hand, it benefits our mutual knowledge, at the same time, some governments again claim the right to raise barriers to the flow of information and to relations between the citizens of different Countries, thus having a negative impact on them through hostile information-manipulating and opinion-influencing instruments.

 

Diplomacy has the far from easy task to continually analyse and understand the international situation and its innermost movements, and to build profitable relationships with our foreign interlocutors in order to protect the fundamental interests of the Republic and, more in general, of the Community of States.

Interests that I believe today more than ever coincide with the respect for the system of principles and norms of the international legal order.

Within this framework, a key role is played by younger generations in many ways engaged in building a world offering better conditions.

The future is in their hands, on condition that they may receive it from their predecessors unharmed.

It is right to observe it close up and become the playmakers of the fate that is in store for them.

Also in foreign policy – your specific scope of activity – we need a continuous flow of new ideas, initiatives, and stimuli.

In renewing my gratitude to you all for the commitment and dedication with which you daily cater to the Country’s general interest, allow me to take this opportunity to convey to you and to all your families, my warmest holiday greetings.