Between Italy and Switzerland 'we have reached an unprecedented level of excellence in bilateral relations' and 'we work as one team'. So says Gian Lorenzo Cornado, Italy's ambassador to Switzerland, in an interview published today by the Corriere del Ticino.
The turning point, the ambassador explained to the newspaper, 'was the visit of President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella to Bern at the end of November 2022. From there we racked up a series of successes and 'emptied all the drawers'. There has also been a very close formal and informal cooperation between the two foreign ministers, Antonio Tajani and Ignazio Cassis. They know each other, they respect each other, they have a common approach on many international issues and they even talk to each other informally via WhatsApp. This is unprecedented,' says Cornado, citing the example of the cabotage agreement signed in Rome in October as one of the successes.
The cooperation between the two countries goes beyond bilateral relations and also concerns dialogue and efforts to restore peace in Ukraine. "Switzerland and Italy have signed a joint declaration for a peace conference in which all actors, including Russia, must participate. A just peace that is not a surrender for Ukraine and that brings peace back to the continent and prepares for the post-war period. The Swiss initiative of the Bürgenstock and the intention to organise a new conference with the support of Italy is crucial. Europe must play a leading role. Woe betide if peace is only restored by non-European actors,' says the ambassador. And if one day 'a peace conference will follow, I hope it will take place here' in Switzerland, he adds.
On the negotiations between Switzerland and the EU and the new package of bilateral agreements reached in December, the Italian diplomat expresses the hope that "the agreements will be signed and approved by parliament and the population, and that the Confederation will become an even more integral part of the large European family because together we will all be stronger".
The question of the lack of free access to the Italian financial services market for institutions that are unable to open a branch, 'a policy that applies to non-EU countries, remains open. I realise that this disappoints the expectations of many operators, but at the moment there is no willingness on the Italian side to go back on this decision. That said, we can always talk about it,' Cornado concludes.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
