“We feel the responsibility of being founding countries of the EU, that is, of making ever more a common home, a community of values and rights, of human rights, not just of economic relations”. This was stated by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella while meeting the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
“The values that inspire us are of peace, well-being, multilateralism. I feel the responsibility of having on my shoulders the growing common activity of the Union and of making the Union more and more a true common home. The Union is not a community of mere economic relations but a community of values, of the rule of law, of human rights and all this requires a growing awareness ”, underlined the President of the Republic, after his meeting with Rutte.
The Netherlands and Italy share “common values” and “common perspectives” within the EU and “this requires a great awareness on our part that the challenges we face require a common commitment from the countries of the Union. These are not challenges that any country alone can face, only the Union as a whole can do so, thus contributing as a great international political entity to the world balance, according to the values that inspire us ».
Mattarella underlined how the Netherlands and Holland are “countries sincerely friends” and have a “bilateral relationship of true, sincere, frank, concrete friendship that develops over time in an increasing manner and also in the common commitment in the EU”, as well as in the ” collaboration within the Atlantic Alliance, with a solid conviction of the importance of the transatlantic relationship for the world balance and for the interest of Europe “and” in the various multilateral fora “, such as the UN and the G20.
The President of the Republic then noted that “advanced issues such as environmental and space technology are two sectors in which the Netherlands and Italy present cutting-edge excellence and in which collaboration is particularly important and is part of the strong friendship that runs between the two countries “.