The Secretary General, Ambassador Ettore Sequi, met today at the Farnesina his Belgian counterpart, Theodora Gentzis, as part of the regular bilateral consultations between the two Foreign Ministries.
The meeting validated the strong convergence of views and values with an economic partner of growing importance to our country. In fact, the Italian-Belgian trade has reached unprecedented results, placing Belgium 7th overall among outlet markets for Italian goods.
Ambassador Sequi and Ambassador Gentzis stressed the excellent state of relations, the strength of political dialogue and the solidity of economic, cultural and civil-society ties – the latter fostered by the approximately 300,000 Italian compatriots residing in Belgium.
The two Secretaries General agreed to foster mutual visits and meetings at every level, and to further strengthen the strong economic-trade partnership, within the framework of the two NRRPs, with priority focus on synergies on ecological, technological and digital transition. In this regard, Ambassador Sequi stressed the priority given by Italy to the Roma Expo 2030 candidacy, as an opportunity for growth and visibility for Belgium as well.
The two Secretaries General renewed their strong and unwavering condemnation of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and reiterated the importance of coordination among Euro-Atlantic partners in support of the Ukrainian people and the resilience of infrastructures in the country.
In view of the extraordinary European Council in February, the two Secretaries General reviewed the topics at the centre of the EU agenda: from the agreement in the negotiations on the gas price ceiling to the commitment to a European strategic autonomy able to seize its opportunities in the industrial, scientific and security field.
On the migration issue, Sequi and Gentzis agreed on the need of a joint action at the EU level able to bring the scale of migration flows back to more manageable numbers for member states, with burden sharing and solidarity. The meeting emphasised the importance of strengthening joint efforts on the external front by reviving cooperation with countries of origin and transit of migration flows.
