Undersecretary Maria Tripodi participated by videoconference in the round table discussion entitled “Doing business in the Mediterranean”, as part of the second edition of the so-called Stati Generali del Mediterraneo, “The Mediterranean between Free Zones and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) – Calabria’s SEZs at the centre” being held in Gizzeria Lido – Catanzaro from 24 to 26 March 2023.
In her speech, delivered in the presence of institutional and business representatives from Italy, Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, Undersecretary Tripodi highlighted how for Italy the Mediterranean represents a space of peace, stability and shared prosperity, which offers common opportunities for inclusive and sustainable economic development.
Undersecretary Tripodi underlined the opportunities that SEZs can offer to Italy in terms of public and private investment, as well as potential relocation, also thanks to the resources of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). In this sense, she called for a strengthening of logistics and infrastructure capacities to enable Italy and the Mediterranean partners to strengthen trade but also the development of shared skills and technologies. Lastly, Undersecretary Tripodi pointed out that “SEZs are part of our idea of a “Mattei Plan” for Africa and the MENA region for the creation of an all-encompassing partnership for the mutual benefit of the participating countries. We want to be the bearers of this approach within the EU as well, since we are convinced that the European Union itself will also benefit from it.”
