Farnesina attends 48th edition of Cernobbio Forum

As is tradition, Villa d’Este in Cernobbio hosted the ​Forum Ambrosetti “Today and tomorrow’s scenario for competitive strategies”, from 2 to 4 September. This year’s edition was organised in a ‘hybrid’ format, which allowed a diverse and qualified audience to connect from several hubs.
The 2022 Edition of the Forum of Cernobbio was the setting of a strengthened cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the European House-Ambrosetti. Indeed, the Forum’s working sessions benefitted from the extensive involvement of the Embassies, which enriched the debate with remarks by representatives from the institutional and academic spheres and from the think tanks of the respective countries of accreditation.
The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Luigi Di Maio, took the floor during the inaugural session of the panel on global challenges and their impact on the economy. In his statement, the Minister described the measures Italy and its international partners fielded to address the crises that currently characterise the geopolitical scenario, starting from the consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as the initiatives taken by the Farnesina to face the troubled international situation.
The panel also featured statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, via video conference, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and South Africa’s Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor.
The opening session was also attended – from the Italian Embassy in Ankara – by Turkey’s Deputy Minister for Energy, Alparslan Bayraktar, and – from the Italian Embassy in Singapore – by the President of Singapore Manufacturing Federation, Lennon Tan.
The Embassy in Pretoria then provided food for thought on scientific issues, following the remarks by Rob Adam, Managing Director of the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.
A qualified representation of U.S. think tanks and State Department officials attended – via video link from the Embassy in Washington DC – the session dedicated the USA. Finally, on 3 September, the day dedicated to European issues, the Embassy in The Hague further stimulated the debate on EU affairs as political analyst Beatrice de Graaf took the floor.