Italy’s Ambassador to Berlin, Armando Varricchio, carried out his first mission to Bremen recently. The two days, 15 and 16 November, featured a wide-ranging programme of meetings and ceremonies.
On his first day in the city of Bremen, the Italian Ambassador was received by the President of the Bremen and Bremerhaven Chamber of Commerce (IHK), Janina Marahrens-Hashagen; before going on to meet the President of the Bremen Parliament, Frank Imhoff, and President of the Bremen Senate (Bremen State Government), Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte.
This was followed by a meeting with the Italians at the OHB, during which Ambassador Varricchio pointed out that: “We are in the midst of a great transformation. Italy and Germany want to contribute to the progress of their respective Countries, on a multi-level basis, forming a team”. Then in the evening he attended the reception for the inauguration of the SpaceTech Expo, with Senator Kristina Vogt.
The following day, 16 November, the Ambassador was at the Bremen Fairgrounds (SpaceTech Expo), where he inaugurated a joint exhibition by the Italian aerospace industry, coordinated by the Agency for Promoting Italian businesses abroad – ICE. “Aerospace”, said the Ambassador, “is a strategic sector for future development, and is key in terms of European strategic autonomy. Also there is a clear emergence on the part of Germany and Italy, of a mutual willingness to further develop bilateral cooperation in this sector”. “As pointed out by Minister Colao”, he added, “there are enormous opportunities, beginning with involving private entities.”. “At a political level, Germany and Italy share a vision that aims to make the entrepreneurial ecosystem on out continent more competitive. We therefore need to work together with our German friends on defining common goals identified together, and then valorise them in more ample formats, such as tri-lateral cooperation with key partners such as France, or in multi-lateral contexts such as the ESA and EU, in which strategic decisions are taken that are able to guide development of the sector”.
“Our Countries,” went on the Ambassador, “are called to make an effort in coming months, once formation of the new Executive in Berlin has been completed, to strengthen bilateral relations, transforming what is already excellent into a real strategic partnership, within which the industrial world moves forward, and in which the aerospace sector, in particular, will be called on to play an essential role”. Finally, the Italian Ambassador, accompanied by ICE and SpaceTech representatives, briefly visited the trade fair, stopping in at the Ariane, AirBus, Infineon, and RFA stands.
