Title: Marsella: Italy has always strongly supported the EU enlargement policy in the Western Balkans region
Italy has always strongly supported the EU enlargement policy in the Western Balkans region. In fact, we have always firmly believed in the political and strategic value of enlargement, even when there was a lot of skepticism from other political actors, said Italian Ambassador Andreina Marsella in an interview for Diplomacy and Commerce Montenegro magazine.
How does the Embassy of Italy in Montenegro support bilateral relations between the two countries?
Italy and Montenegro are friendly countries with deep historical, cultural, political, and economic ties. As an embassy, we are committed to strengthening bilateral relations by promoting exchange visits. At the beginning of February, the Montenegrin Minister of Affairs, the Minister of the Interior, and the Minister of Justice visited Rome for bilateral meetings with their Italian counterparts and a joint session with their delegations. In this way, we encourage commercial contacts, support business relations, and aid in the implementation of cultural initiatives.
In the context of economy, culture, and tourism, what are the main areas of collaboration between Italy and Montenegro?
In the economic context, the key areas of cooperation between Italy and Montenegro are energy, in all its different branches, with special interest in renewable energy sources, commercial exchange, and tourism. To achieve this goal of attracting more Italians to Montenegro and vice versa, we need to focus on improving both air and sea connections. In the field of culture, we carry out numerous exchanges and initiatives. We work closely with the organizers of the Herceg Novi Comic Festival. With them, we brought the famous Zerocalcare to Montenegro last year, and Milo Manara is coming this year (March 15-17). We are also closely cooperating with the Capital City and the Secretariat for Culture on the implementation of other initiatives, which I do not want to reveal so as not to spoil the surprise!
What are the prospects for the further development of political, economic, and cultural cooperation between Italy and Montenegro?
The prospects are great! The political visits that commenced in early February are ongoing. We aim to reinforce political cooperation by finalizing specific agreements across various sectors, and also by boosting economic relations, both in terms of trade and investments. From a cultural point of view, I would like to point out that there are over 16,000 students of the Italian language in primary and secondary schools in Montenegro. Obviously, our commitment is to increase the number of students studying Italian, which is already the second most-studied foreign language in the country after English. Therefore, in this area as well, the cooperation we achieve with the relevant institutions is excellent!
What initiatives does the Embassy undertake to support the Italian diaspora in Montenegro and strengthen their connection with the mother country?
In fact, we don’t have a real Italian diaspora in Montenegro, apart from an already autochthonous presence. In any case, we maintain ties with all those who are connected to Italy in one way or another by facilitating the cultural events that we organize and their participation in the Italian language courses offered in the country.
How does Italy support Montenegro in its efforts towards European integration and improvement of the rule of law?
Italy has always strongly supported the EU enlargement policy in the Western Balkans region. In fact, we have always firmly believed in the political and strategic value of enlargement, even when there was a lot of skepticism from other political actors. Namely, we were always confident that the EU’s enlargement to the Western Balkans represents the best guarantee for the stability not only of the region but the Union itself. So, our support for Montenegro’s accession process to the EU has always been unwavering, not only through words but also through our actions. We have provided financial aid for development and shared our expertise by participating in various programs such as IPA, Interreg, Twinning, Taiex, etc.
What are the embassy’s current initiatives regarding tourism cooperation between Italy and Montenegro?
As I said, the first step in stimulating the development of tourism is connectivity. From December 2023, the Air Montenegro company made an important “bet” on the Italian market by opening direct flights between Italy and Podgorica twice a week. We are aware of the challenges and hence, we are committed to facilitating communication between Montenegro and our affiliates in the tourism industry. This includes tour operators and trade associations. Our aim is to provide support to Air Montenegro in every possible way. Restoring communication between the two countries in the maritime industry may be challenging. However, in line with our limited role, we remain determined to facilitate this process by creating connections between companies and institutions. After all, as an Embassy, we cannot force private companies to work per our wishes due to prevailing market aspects. But in any case, we are doing everything within our competencies to facilitate these relations. I strongly hope for further development in this sector.