Relations with North America

Contact: DG for Political Affairs and Security

United States

Canada

Italy’s relations with the subcontinent of North America are characterised by profoundly shared values and interests, and by strong and lasting economic and financial integration. Within this framework, and not least in light of the new global trends and growing importance of the Asia-Pacific area, transatlantic dialogue remains an unavoidable point of reference: collaboration between Europe and North America on strategies and solutions to common challenges continues to serve as a guide for the entire international community.

The public itself considers the transatlantic bond essential and expect Europe and North America to collaborate on confronting global challenges, from international crisis management to responding to the calls for democracy and freedom, and from climate change and sustainable development to the fight against poverty. The presence of numerous US and Canadian citizens of Italian descent has undoubtedly worked in favour of these shared interests.

Italian foreign policy with regard to the U.S. and Canada therefore remains firmly anchored to the transatlantic dialogue, also fundamental to the European Union, as well as to the traditional, strategic and intense bilateral relationships with Washington and Ottawa, both NATO allies and co-members of the G8/G20. The American continent has become the number-two destination for Italian exports, after the European Union, and we continue to increase our support in North America for collaboration between both the academic worlds and the worlds of high-tech science and technology, in such a way as to allow our firms both to maintain export levels in more traditional sectors as well as to enjoy comparative advantages in terms of competition.

United States

Relations between Italy and the United States are based on a common heritage of civilisation, values, interests and ties that have developed over the course of recent decades. Bilateral dialogue is intense: Italy and the United States agree on the principles of freedom, progress, respect for human rights and a common commitment to the defence and promotion of democracy. Relations of friendship and collaboration are fuelled by mutual esteem and trust. Washington acknowledges and appreciates Italy's strong engagement in multilateral international peacekeeping missions and in the war on terrorism. The excellence of these relations is also expressed in the numerous multilateral organisations and forums in which both countries participate. Since the end of the Second World War, our country has been an important U.S. ally and global partner by virtue of our ability for dialogue and mediation with the various components of the international community. For its part, the United States has ensured security and been an essential point of reference in carrying out the international agenda. A solid bilateral relationship is a fundamental constant in our foreign policy, and has long been considered consistent with the strengthening of European integration; Indeed, Italy believes that a strong Europe can be an even more reliable ally for the U.S..

Contacts and visits between Italy and the U.S. have traditionally been especially intense, particularly since the start of 2013. U.S. Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta’s visit to Rome (16 January 2013); the President of the Italian Republic’s visit to the U.S. (15 February 2013); new U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Italy (27-28 February 2013), who met with the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister; and visits to the U.S. by Minister for the Economy Grilli (New York 9-11 February 2013), Environment Minister Clini (Washington, 28 February-March 1st), and Labour Minister Fornero (New York, 4-5 March 2013). Other occasions included talks in Rome between U.S. Vice President Biden and the President of the Republic, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on the occasion of the installation of the new Pope; as well as the foreign minister’s meeting with a delegation from the U.S. Congress (Rome, 19 March 2013).

On the level of economic relations, as a result of the high consideration afforded “Made in Italy” products in the US, Italy has one of its most substantial trade surpluses there. The most recent trade data are very encouraging both in traditional and high-tech sectors. Italian exports in 2012 amounted to €26,656,035,140 (up by 16.8% compared with the previous year). Imports totalling €12,665,951,056 were down by 2.8% in the period in consideration, resulting in a net surplus of €13,990,084,084, while total commercial trade amounted to €39,321,986,196. Italy was 15th among supplies to the U.S. in 2012, 5th among EU countries. Direct Italian investments in the U.S. in 2011 stood at €3.2 billion dollars, while U.S. investments in Italy in the same year amounted to $450 million.

Of particular importance also is the development of cooperation in the field of science and technology that aims, among other things, at seeking economic-trade promotion synergies, particularly in the area of technological innovation.

The concept of the “Italian life-style” is well-known to the American people, and is being continuously enhanced in fields ranging from fashion to design, and from food and wine traditions to the rise of the high-technology sector. The Italo-American community, the US's fifth largest national ethnic group, has been a prime actor in the development of cultural and economic ties between the two countries, especially in view of its outstanding dynamism, which has, in many cases, led its members to attain highly prestigious economic and social positions.

Dissemination of the Italian language as an essential tool for dialogue and cultural cooperation has increased remarkably thanks to the inclusion in 2010 of Italian to the Advanced Placement Programmes (AP) in U.S. upper secondary schools to which a programme aimed at adding the study of Italian to U.S. secondary school curricula.

The Advanced Placement Programme in Italian language and culture is a university level course open to upper secondary school students, the credits of which are recognised in all American universities and in many foreign ones. According to the Modern Language Association, the number of Italian students in American universities grew by nearly 60% between 1998 and 2009 from 49,000 to 80,572. Of the 7 major languages taught in American universities, Italian took 4th place after Spanish, French and German, with an increase in course enrolments and diplomas issued.

The year 2013 has been declared the Year of Italian Culture in the USA, an initiative that enjoys the patronage of the President of the Republic and offers an exceptional opportunity to promote the Italian culture and present the various aspects and sectors of Italian identity. On the basis of the initiative’s theme (research, discovery, innovation), the events selected are aimed at showing Italy as a country in the avant-garde of modern innovation, science and quality manufacturing; and as a rich expression of knowledge and innovative capability whose roots go back thousands of years and that give Italy a frontline place in the redefinition of the global future.

The Year intends to offer new perspectives on culture and research and to stimulate interaction, not least thanks to the input of generations of Italians in America and to the United States’ contribution to our freedom, prosperity and security. The Year of Italian Culture in the USA is founded on a historic friendship between peoples, and therefore represents a major opportunity for mutual understanding, and to foreground shared Italo-American interests in further strengthening it, by supporting economic and social growth around shared goals, from the education of young talent to scientific research and business skills, in order to confirm the dynamism and energy for renewal that mark our country.

Canada

Historically relations with Canada have developed on the basis of the shared values of freedom and democracy.

Political relations are characterised by a significant convergence of interests in multilateral forums such as the UN, the G8, OSCE and NATO (in the context of which, however, Ottawa has taken rather critical positions in recent years). The two countries have similar sensibilities on many issues and vote in the same manner, broadly agreeing on many international challenges, beginning with a multilateral approach to common defence. They also share the same views in the matter of UN Security Council reform.

Italy is also working to give fresh impetus to the dialogue between Canada and the European Union, convinced that relations with Ottawa are an essential component in broader transatlantic relations. In order to render trade cooperation between Canada and the EU more incisive, negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) were launched in May of 2009. The most sensitive dossiers were addressed, such as intellectual property rights and investments protections, services and public procurement disciplines (the EU and Italy are pushing for the greatest possible opening of the Canadian market and maximum in the aforementioned protections).

On a more strictly bilateral level relations between Italy and Canada are excellent, and Canada's large Italian community is an additional incentive to cooperation. A better and more in-depth awareness of both countries' situations, also at the level of civil society, would enable the potential for economic and cultural collaboration to be exploited fully.

On 17 February 2012 Prime Minister Monti met in Rome with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty; also in Rome, on 20 February 2012, Interior Minister Annamaria Cancellieri met with Citizenship, Immigration & Multiculturalism Jason Kenney; while of 21 February 2012 Defence Secretary Filippo Milone met with Canadian Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino. On 26 March, in the margins of the nuclear summit in Seoul (Korea, Japan and China), Prime Minister Monti met with his Canadian counterpart Harper. This bilateral meeting was repeated of the margins of the G8 and NATO meetings in Chicago (18-21 May 2012) and at the G20 summit in Los Cabos (18-19 June 2012). Finally, Minister for Foreign Affairs Giulio Terzi met with his Canadian counterpart Baird at the meeting of G8 foreign ministers-Deauville Partnership in the margins of the UNGA on 28 September 2012.

As for economic relations, Italy is Canada’s 9th supplier (second in Europe after Germany) and 16th export market (second in Europe after the UK). Trade in 2012 amounted to €5.39 billion, with a surplus of approximately €2.70 billion. Direct investments remain contained.

The Italian community's integration into the social fabric of Canada appears to be satisfying overall. The situation is, nevertheless, a complex one given Canada's various territorial, ethnic and linguistic specificities. The multicultural policies pursued since the 1960s as a symbol of Canada's national identity, have enabled active participation in the daily life of the local society and the achievement of respectable political positions on local, state and federal levels

Cultural relations between Italy and Canada are intense and further deepen what are already strong political and economic ties. Italy is the 4th most studied language in that country, owing to the efforts of the Italian Studies departments of 33 Canadian universities and cultural institutes. The promotion of Italian language and culture is helped by the close collaboration that the three Italian Cultural Institutes in Canada (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) have established with local institutions and universities. The Institutes ensure a broad range of events that flank the traditional language courses devoted to specialised sectors (art, cinema, music, cuisine). Interuniversity cooperation between Italy and Canada is also intense. Italian universities are linked with their Canadian counterparts by a multitude of accords, and include Bocconi University, the University of Bologna and the Milan and Turin Polytechnic Institutes.