Italy and Germany believe that in current times a strong, strategic partnership has gained even more importance. Founded on broad and deep bilateral relations, encompassing also the fields of trade, industry, science, culture and civil society, it is beneficial to our common goal of a strong and sovereign Europe. As founding members of the European Union, we reaffirm our shared commitment to enhance Europe’s ability to respond to today’s global challenges in a spirit of unity and responsibility, so that a strong and competitive Europe may again become an engine of economic growth and prosperity as well as a reliable security provider in the global arena.
We underline the importance of a closer cooperation in the field of European Security and defence, reinforcing the European pillar of NATO, overcoming obstacles to an effective complementarity and further fostering industrial cooperation with our historic allies. We commit to closer coordination on strategic challenges, including hybrid threats and cyber resilience. We commit to coordinate our respective positions in the ongoing discussions at the EU level and to explore the possibility of joint initiatives in this regard.
We intend to actively contribute to the EU debate on competitiveness and innovation promoting a business-friendly regulatory framework and reflecting together on how to mobilize private and public investment. Moreover, we consider an open and ambitious EU trade policy aimed at widening the network of EU trade agreements, strengthening the transatlantic bond and bolstering the rules-based multilateral trading system an essential part of our strategy to pursue growth and economic security.
Effective migration management remains a high priority. We must ensure the full application of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, reinforcing our joint efforts with partner countries, especially in Africa, to address the root causes of irregular migration, combat migrant smugglers. We also explore innovative solutions to reduce irregular migration, while respecting EU and international law.
Preserving the enlargement momentum constitutes another strategic priority for the European Union. Italy and Germany support a credible and merit-based enlargement process towards all accession countries. Enlargement and internal EU reform must go hand in hand to make the EU stronger and to ensure the Union’s capacity to act in the face of a new geopolitical reality and increasingly complex challenges.
Finally, at the international level we reaffirm our commitment to a system based on international law including through our convinced support to the United Nations. Our coordinated efforts should be addressed in particular at restoring peace and security in Europe against the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine and in the Middle East. In this regard, we reaffirm today’s joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom plus the EU High Representative.
We are also determined to further engage and promote the relationship with the United States, in the belief that the transatlantic bond remains pivotal to the prosperity, security and progress of the Western community. We want to focus on promoting joint and European interests worldwide, including the Mediterranean, Africa, the Indo-Pacific and Latin America, with a view to foster future-oriented and mutually beneficial partnerships with the countries of those regions.
To this aim and in the framework of the joint Action Plan signed in 2023, we have jointly decided to continue our 2+2 consultations between our respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence and hold on a regular basis a Foreign Policy Strategic Dialogue on all matters of European and foreign policy. Regular consultations should also continue between our Ministries and respective Embassies, in order to elaborate concrete proposals for the advancement of the objectives set above.
