Undersecretary Tripodi leads a System Mission to the Philippines

The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi, is in Manila for a system mission to the Philippines, attended by a delegation of Italian companies and institutional representatives of ICE, CDP and SACE. Undersecretary Tripodi chaired a meeting aimed at supporting the participation of Italian companies in tenders of the Asian Development Bank, of which Italy has been a founding member and shareholder since 1966.

Strengthening bilateral relations and partnerships with regional bodies is at the core of the economic diplomacy mission with the main objective of promoting the interests of Italian companies in South-East Asia.

The Undersecretary also held a bilateral meeting with the Philippine Minister of Foreign Affairs, Enrique Manalo. The Undersecretary said: "The main international dossiers were discussed, including peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, where Italy is committed to implementing the European Union Strategy, with aero-naval campaigns in defence of freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as important funding and project activities."

She added: "I am very satisfied with this first day of meetings, which will continue tomorrow with a full agenda of bilateral meetings and my speech at the 8th edition of the Ambrosetti High-Level Dialogue Asean - Italy Economic Relations." She concluded: "The Indo-Pacific is a strategic area for global geopolitical equilibria, with a dynamic market recording continuous economic growth. In this context, as Italian government, we are pursuing a precise strategy in the region, also marked by an ongoing political presence, which aims to increasingly implement economic and multilateral cooperation with the ASEAN countries. The systemic mission I have the honour of leading in fact anticipates the visits that I will continue in the region at the beginning of 2025 to Malaysia and Vietnam."