The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, opens today the 12th Italy-Latin America and Caribbean Conference, an event organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the International Italo-Latin American Organisation (IILA). The Conference brings together senior government officials from the 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries that are members of CELAC and the Heads of regional organisations and banks. For the occasion, the Minister has dedicated an editorial to the Conference, which is being published in the main countries of the region.
The Conference, established in 2003, is the main forum for political dialogue between Italy and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. The 2025 edition is being held under the theme “Italy-Latin America and the Caribbean: a growing partnership” with the aim of strengthening cooperation in a number of priority areas: sustainable economic growth, energy, green and digital transition, culture, security and training.
The proceedings will be opened by Minister Tajani, followed by speeches by the Colombian Foreign Minister and Pro Tempore President of CELAC, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, and the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations of the Holy See, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher. The day will feature two thematic sessions dedicated to strengthening economic and trade partnerships and cooperation as a common strategic axis.
Italy is strengthening its economic relations with Latin America: in 2024, trade reached €33 billion, with almost €21 billion in exports to the region. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, trade amounted to €23 billion, highlighting the growing competitiveness of Italian companies in Latin American markets.
The Conference is part of a broader foreign policy strategy promoted by Minister Tajani, based on “diplomacy for growth” and the revitalisation of Italy’s role in Latin America and the Caribbean. This initiative aims to enhance the deep historical, cultural and economic ties that unite Italy and the region and to promote multi-level cooperation geared towards concrete results.
