The Asia, Oceania and Antarctica region comprises 37 States. It accounts for the majority of the world’s population and for about a third of the world’s GDP, as well as being a crucial hub for global trade and financial flows. Italy is present in the region with its diplomatic-consular network, consisting of 17 Embassies and 15 Consulates.
The Foreign Ministry is committed to strengthening bilateral relations with the countries in the region across the board, by intensifying political relations and supporting the penetration of our companies in the markets of the region, as well as fostering economic partnerships especially in the sectors in which Italy is at the forefront.
Moreover, although including extremely heterogeneous economies, Asia and Oceania have six members of the G20 (Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan and the Republic of Korea) and are of growing importance in global governance. In recent years the region has also been endowed with numerous regional bodies of which Italy is a partner (ASEAN, IORA, International Solar Alliance) and which are an important instrument of our Asia strategy.
Besides strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation with regional bodies, Italy has for some time launched activities in the pillars identified by the “EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific”(“Strategia dell’UE per la Cooperazione nell’Indo-Pacifico”), which defines the guidelines of the European Union’s approach in this region. The main lines of Italian action in the region are outlined in the document “The Italian contribution to the European Strategy for the Indo-Pacific” (“Il contributo italiano alla Strategia europea per l’Indo-Pacifico”).