25 Ottobre 2012
Dear Prime Minister, It's a great pleasure and privilege to be here today, for the second time in six months, and to note how the friendship that unites our two countries has continued to grow over the years.
Italy and Israel are bound by a special relationship and by collaborations spanning all fields. Today, we are setting the stage to further intensify our partnership in many sectors, while opening new ones.
This year’s Summit can be summarised by three main objectives: growth, science and culture.
On the economic front we are launching a more structured approach to facilitate the efforts of start-ups and venture capitals, by bridging the gap between our two countries with an important MoU.
Israel has been defined the “Start-Up Nation” for its remarkable technological development, and Italy is also focusing its efforts in this field. Given our respective expertise, we are, here as in many other respects, complementary, with the opportunity to benefit from important synergies in the innovation sector.
A number of important businesses from our two countries have invested in the other, in a broad range of sectors (from telecommunications to high-tech and constructions), but we need to further boost these figures. And I have been told that there are many other investment opportunities, for example in the infrastructure sector, including the important rail link from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean
In this regard the Industrial, Scientific and Technological Agreement represents an important tool, enriched through the possibility of financing collaborations between Universities and Centres of Research, responding to a long-felt request of the scientific and business communities of both countries. The implementation of the agreement has turned Italy into Israel’s first partner in Europe (and second partner in the world) in terms of the number of scientific activities/projects with Israel. The 11 projects selected this year by the Joint Commission are promising, spanning from medicine and biotechnology to information technology and agriculture.
We are also happy with the creation of the Italian-Israeli Foundation for Arts and Culture and with the signature of the new Cultural Executive Programme. Both instruments will contribute to further strengthening the cultural cooperation between our Countries.
We express our satisfaction for the growing interest for Italian culture shown by the Israeli audience and for the increasing role of the Italian language in the Israeli education system. We wish that such interest be maintained and further enhanced in the future, also trough the events and Italian courses promoted by our Cultural Institutes in Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Co-operation between Italian and Israeli Universities is excellent and shows a high potential for future developments.
Moving on to the regional context, let me say that I consider Israel's security, also our security in Europe and beyond. We reject in the strongest terms all threats to regional stability and condemn as outrageous and unacceptable any denial of the terrible tragedy of the Shoa as well as any threats to the your very existence. We expressed our solidarity for the rocket attacks in the south of the country. We are also introducing legislation in the Italian parliament punishing the denial of the holocaust. Italy strongly believes the peoples of Middle East must strive to offer their children the ability to live together peacefully and in prosperity, by putting dialogue and the search for a peaceful solution to regional issues before hatred and threats.
Italy is committed to continue to strengthen and promote the expansion of ties between Israel and the European Union, and its cooperation with NATO, within the respective frameworks agreed with the European partners.
Italy shares Israel's conviction that a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved through direct negotiations, based on the principle of two States for two peoples, with the State of Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland of the Jewish people, and an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable State of Palestine as the homeland of the Palestinian people, living side by side - in peace and security and mutual recognition.
Italy trusts this is also the desire of the Arab People all over the Middle East, at a time of great changes and unprecedented challenges. I strongly believe that the process of reform Israel's neighbors have started is rich with opportunities that will eventually promote the spread of democracy and peace.
It is in this spirit that Italy calls on Iran to fully demonstrate the civilian and peaceful nature of its nuclear program and to abide by all its international obligations. Italy also strongly condemns the atrocities committed by the Syrian regime against its own people and calls on all parties to immediately stop all violence and commit to a political process that puts the will of the Syrians first.
To finish, let me say how satisfied i am with our meeting and the conclusion of our many accords signed today.
With the same enthusiasm we look forward to Israel's key participation to the Milan Expo 2015, an excellent opportunity to broadcast to the whole world the achievement of the ‘Start Up Nation’.
