The first official visit of the Italian Ambassador to Australia, Nicola Lener, to the State of Victoria has concluded successfully.
During his mission, the Ambassador met with Governor Margaret Gardner and senior members of the state government, including the Minister for Finance, Danny Pearson, the Minister for Energy, Lily D’Ambrosio, and the Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, Colin Brooks. The discussions focused on reinforcing bilateral relations, particularly in political and economic spheres, and on recognising the contribution of the Italian and Italian-Australian community, comprising over 62,000 citizens registered with AIRE and approximately 400,000 residents of Italian descent.
The Ambassador highlighted the presence of numerous Italian companies in Melbourne, including Webuild, Leonardo and Enel Green Power, active in strategic sectors such as defence, infrastructure, energy, healthcare and agri-food, and emphasised the potential for expanding trade and investment between Italy and Victoria.
Bilateral trade is already at encouraging levels, with annual exchanges exceeding EUR 2 billion (AUD 3.5 billion) in 2025, and a trade balance strongly in Italy’s favour, reflecting exports of approximately EUR 2 billion in goods and services, including defence equipment, power generation machinery, aircraft and related components (primarily helicopters).
In a meeting with Italian entrepreneurs, the Ambassador noted how international developments and the EU–Australia Free Trade Agreement could further strengthen Italy’s presence in the local market. The ongoing renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between Victoria and Lombardy was also highlighted as a key instrument for collaboration.
The visit continued at the Parliament of Victoria, where the Ambassador was received by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Maree Edwards, and the Co-Presidents of the Parliamentary Group of Friends of Italy, Daniela De Martino and Jade Benham, underscoring the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in bilateral relations. The Ambassador also met the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Nicholas Reece, to discuss progress on the twinning agreement with Milan.
Particular attention was also given to the fields of research, culture, and media. The Ambassador met with Italian researchers holding senior positions at leading Australian universities, as well as with the leadership of the Australian Institute of International Affairs (the country’s main think tank on international policy), the NewsCorp group (owner of several national newspapers and magazines), the Palace Cinema group (organisers of the St.Ali Italian Film Festival, an annual event entirely dedicated to Italian cinema with screenings of the most recent Italian productions across Australian cinemas), and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, based in Melbourne.
