Mission to New Zealand by Undersecretary Giorgio Silli (July 24-25)

Undersecretary of State Giorgio Silli visited New Zealand on 24-25 July, marking the first visit by an Italian government official to the country since 2009. The visit took place shortly after New Zealand's participation in the G7 Trade Ministers' Meeting under the Italian Presidency (Villa San Giovanni, 16-17 July).

During his visit, Undersecretary Silli held various institutional meetings with the President of the Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Energy, the Minister for Climate Change, the Speaker of Parliament, and several officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. These meetings allowed for a review of the excellent state of bilateral relations and the exploration of new areas of collaboration. "New Zealand remains an important partner for Italy in the Indo-Pacific, both bilaterally and in the broader context of global challenges," Silli stated, adding that "the sectors with the greatest economic potential, and where we should invest more, are textiles, infrastructure, energy, and the defence industry. The Italian government's support efforts are focused and will continue to focus on these areas."

There was full alignment on major international issues such as Ukraine, the Middle East crisis, NATO collaboration, the Indo-Pacific, the protection of the rules-based international order, and combating climate change. The discussions also centred on the recent entry into force of the EU-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, which will facilitate European companies' access to public procurement in New Zealand. During the mission, Silli also visited an agricultural facility specialising in high-quality wool production and a textile plant that already supplies high-quality yarns to Italian high fashion operators, utilising Italian-made textile and industrial machinery.

Finally, the Undersecretary met with members of the Italian community from various parts of the country.