"Relations between Italy and Germany are certainly solid, and with today's meeting we are helping to strengthen them, especially in terms of industry and defence," said Matteo Perego di Cremnago, Undersecretary of State for Defence, to Ansa at the end of the first Italian-German round table on defence, which he chaired together with his German counterpart Benedikt Zimmer.
The Italian ambassador to Germany, Fabrizio Bucci, pointed out that cooperation is now a necessity in order to develop Europe's defence capabilities and to make our companies globally competitive. The Italian undersecretary did not hide his satisfaction with the success of the round table, which involved institutional representatives from both countries as well as Italian and German companies: the atmosphere was extremely constructive and the chosen format revealed great potential. 'Our cooperation with Germany on an industrial level is extremely relevant. By intensifying cooperation on defence issues we contribute to strengthening our European identity'.
A key point of the debate was the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), in which Italy and Germany are confirmed as leading players: the undersecretary emphasised as axes for this the realisation of joint projects 'cross-border cooperation, resilience of supply chains and coordinated export strategies'. More than one participant emphasised how frank, deep and constructive the discussion had been. So much so that a new edition of the round table is already planned for next year, again open to institutional and industry representatives, this time in Italy.
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