“Italy – said the Deputy Minister at the opening of the Conference – with its 8000 km of coastline, eleven maritime borders and an economic chain which, from fishing to shipbuilding and transport, accounts for almost 3% of GDP, is in the forefront in the Mediterranean for strengthening an integrated system of relations between coastal countries.”
The Deputy Minister also stressed the shared interest of the Mediterranean countries in ensuring the lasting health of the sea, as a factor of environmental and climate balance, and emphasised the responsibilities that Italy will be exercising on these issues during 2021, in particular as President of the 26th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the G20.
Di Stefano then mentioned the WestMED Initiative, of which Italy currently holds the 2020-2021 Presidency. “We are working on the development of infrastructure aimed at increasing the use of clean and alternative energy in maritime transport, including natural gas as a transitional fuel towards a de-carbonised maritime industry” – the Deputy Minister concluded.
