On January 23, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani attended the Italy-Germany Summit co-chaired by the two Heads of Government at Villa Doria Pamphilj. On the sidelines of the Summit, bilateral meetings were held with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche; the Italy-Germany Business Forum was opened at the Parco dei Principi Hotel, and the first “2+2” Ministerial Meeting with the Foreign and Defence Ministers of Italy and Germany was held at the Foreign Ministry.
For Italy, the Business Forum with Germany was a strategic event. Germany is our primary trading partner, the top destination for Italian exports, and our main supplier, with annual trade exceeding €150 billion. The Forum was an opportunity to support Italian companies and discuss – in sectoral panels dedicated to advanced industry (with a focus on automotive, steel, and pharmaceuticals), infrastructure and connectivity, energy, defence, security, and aerospace – how to increase the competitiveness of the highly integrated Italian and German industries. The Business Forum, which also included B2B meetings, ended with remarks by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Ministers Tajani and Wadephul also discussed European issues such as competitiveness, the Multiannual Financial Framework currently being negotiated, and reforms, as well as EU-US trade relations. Minister Tajani reaffirmed to his counterparts the strategic objective of further strengthening relations with Germany, both bilaterally and within Europe, in the framework of this year’s 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The agenda also included a discussion on Greenland, in which the Foreign Minister reaffirmed the need for dialogue and de-escalation with the United States.
At the “2+2” Ministerial Meeting between Ministers Tajani and Crosetto and their German counterparts, coordination between Italy and Germany on European defence was discussed, to strengthen NATO’s European pillar by mobilizing the necessary resources. The agenda also included a discussion of diplomatic, financial, and military support for Ukraine, and joint commitment in the Middle East.
