The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Maria Tripod, participated today in Dubrovnik – on behalf of Minister Tajani – in the Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, a regional cooperation platform launched in 2015 and comprising 13 European Union Member States and six strategic partners.
The event is particularly important for Italy, which was invited to participate in the Summit following Minister Tajani’s announcement of his intention to join the Initiative as a strategic partner.
Undersecretary Tripodi stated: “At a time of great challenges for Europe and the world, Italy has proposed to join the Initiative as a strategic partner, aware of the crucial importance of the region between the Adriatic, the Baltic, and the Black Sea, fully sharing the objectives of this Forum, and confident in the added value that Italy will bring.” Among these objectives, the Undersecretary emphasized the processes of infrastructure integration and the strengthening of connectivity in Central and Eastern Europe, which should be understood above all as a factor of security and competitiveness.
The new strategic partner status – along with Germany, Japan, the EU, the USA, Spain, and Turkey – will enable Italy to support the development of East-West and North-South connection axes, consistent with Italy’s role within the Central European Initiative and the IMEC project.