For Antonio Tajani, these positive relationships made it possible to “erase all the small problems that prevented the two countries from feeling close not only geographically, but also political”. The vice-president of the Italian Council of Ministers was the guest of honor of the Conference of Swiss Ambassadors and Ambassadors in Bern.
“16 years ago, when I was a national advisor, I had a motion to improve relations with Italy. Today, I am delighted to see that this is the case,” said Ignazio Cassis. “I am not saying that it is only the cultural factor that played, but before me, there was no Italophone sensitivity to the government,” he said. At the time of its election, Ticino had not been represented in the Federal Council for 18 years.
Ignazio Cassis and Antonio Tajani illustrated this rapprochement by explaining that they have dialogued a lot about the Winter Olympic Games which will take place in 2026 in Milan and Cortina in Ampezzo. “We have exchanged a lot with political and economic actors in the concerned regions of the two countries,” said Cassis.
Economic partner
The two foreign ministers have addressed economic relations between their country. Italy is the second economic partner in Switzerland in Europe and the fourth worldwide. “It is a partner who grew up quickly, in particular thanks to the pharmacing or watchmaking sectors,” noted Ignazio Cassis. He also cited the boom in the service sector, especially banking.
This meeting enabled Antonio Tajani to present the Affairs Guide to Switzerland (Guida Agli Affari in Svizzera). It will be available at the Italian Embassy of Bern and must encourage the presence of Italian companies in the Confederation. “With this guide, we have established that outside the union-European, Switzerland was a high potential market,” said Tajani.
The Italian host also announced that a meeting with Swiss entrepreneurs wishing to invest in Italy would be organized in Zurich.
Italian language in the spotlight
The two ministers also approached the Italophony conference which will take place in Rome on November 19. Ignazio Cassis will be one of the protagonists of this meeting. “When the world is at peace, it is difficult to understand the scope of this kind of event. It is when there are wars that we understand their urgency,” said the Ticino federal adviser.
The objective of this day will be to promote peace and the development of culture, according to Antonio Tajani. “The Italian language is an instrument of the country. There are several countries which recognize Italian as an official language. Besides Switzerland, there is Croatia, Slovenia or even Saint-Marin,” he said. Other countries like Brazil, the United States or Argentina also have strong Italian communities.
