The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, undertook an official visit to Madrid for meetings with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío, and the Chief of Staff to the Presidency of the Government, Diego Rubio Rodríguez.
The talks provided an opportunity to further deepen relations between Italy and Spain, focusing on the many opportunities for collaboration in the economic and commercial sectors, as well as within the framework of the European Union and other international organisations. The natural convergence of interests between the two nations – rooted in deep cultural and historical ties and a shared Mediterranean outlook – translates, as Deputy Minister Cirielli emphasised, into shared positions, for instance with regard to North African and Sahel countries, where continued unity and a common strategic approach are essential. At the bilateral level, there is also a strong alignment between the two civil societies, amply demonstrated by the dense network of exchanges and personal, including family, connections. In this regard, Deputy Minister Cirielli expressed hope that the bilateral agreement on dual Italian-Spanish citizenship can soon be finalised, in order to provide concrete responses to the needs of an ever-growing Italian community in Spain, now approaching 350,000 residents.
The mission concluded with a visit to the Italian Cultural Institute of Madrid and a meeting with representatives of the Embassy, the Consulate General, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the wider Italian economic system in Spain.
