Minister Antonio Tajani, could “Corridor VIII” be a way to facilitate Brindisi’s inclusion within the TEN-T network? What effect could today’s summit have on the ongoing negotiations within the European institutions?
“Having Corridor VIII included in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) was a great success. Having it included in the list of EU assets will mean greater involvement of the European Union in the development of this major strategic European infrastructure, which serves to connect the economies of Europe and the Balkans.”
Regardless of the European corridors, Apulia and the South of Italy suffer a major gap compared to the rest of the country with regard to infrastructure and connections. How will the Italian government try to address and solve this disparity?
“The Italian government has a vision, which is to revitalise the South of Italy: we want Apulia and the rest of the South to become an economic, logistical and energy hub in the Mediterranean. Corridor VIII is a great opportunity to develop Apulia’s port capacity and put it at the service of the Italian and European economy.”
Why did the choice for this summit fall on the Messapian capital?
“I organised a meeting in Brindisi with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Albania, Bulgaria and North Macedonia precisely to examine in detail the Corridor VIII project, which starts from Apulia and ends on the shores of the Black Sea via those countries. Brindisi is Italy’s entry point to this corridor. We will discuss the issues of connectivity and socio-economic growth of an area that we are looking at with great attention and where we want to be increasingly present.”
How concrete are the plans for the expansion of the two UN bases (UNHRD and UNGSC) in Brindisi, and what benefits could come to Apulia?
“The Brindisi Base is a logistics hub of primary importance for the United Nations, which manages humanitarian emergencies all over the world from here and serves as one of the main logistics tools of the World Food Programme. However, the Base has implications, including economic ones, of fundamental importance for Apulia and Italy. Suffice it to think of the induced activity that has been created around it. This is why the Italian government wants to continue investing in it, strengthening it.”
What are the objectives you intend to pursue through the dialogue with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Albania?
“Our idea is to create a platform for political dialogue and cooperation between Italy, Bulgaria, Albania and North Macedonia. The first two are EU members, the others are candidate countries. Such a platform can also be replicated for other Balkan countries and become an incentive for more and more regional cooperation.”
What do you think of the EU enlargement process and what benefits would it bring, with Albania and North Macedonia, to Apulia?
“The Italian government has made relaunching the process of European integration of the Western Balkans a priority of its foreign policy action. This is because we cannot allow that region, which is strategic for the security of Italy and Europe, to look to other actors, who have different agendas from ours. The Italian and European presence in the area – where, let me remind you, we are also present with our military in international peace missions – has a stabilising function, including on the migration front.”
Is Apulia satisfactorily fulfilling its role as a safe port for the disembarkation of migrants rescued at sea?
“Apulia has a long tradition of welcoming people. I remember the great landing of Albanians more than thirty years ago. Today, however, our goal must be to stop irregular migratory flows. As the Italian Prime Minister illustrated last Sunday at the Conference dedicated to Development and Migration that we hosted at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a decisive international response is needed to support political stability and promote social and economic development, tackle the root causes of forced displacement, help promote legal migration, and prevent and tackle irregular migration and human trafficking.”
