WASHINGTON – The return to Rome from Washington, for the minister for businesses and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, brings a fair amount of spoils for the economic policies of the Meloni government. Urso snatched from the US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, the promise of greater US investments in Italy; he obtained a list of about 80 possible investors for the sovereign wealth fund for Made in Italy and was invited to explore a possible partnership with American companies for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
During the celebration of the 77th anniversary of the Italian Republic, on the evening of June 1, Raimondo began his greeting by saying: “We would like to do more business with Italy and you must do more business in the United States“, confirming a report still strong between the two allies. Looking then at the Italian presidency of the G-7 next year, the secretary of Commerce insisted on “further strengthening our diplomatic and commercial ties”. Urso reiterated that “Italy is a reliable and growing country” thanks also to “exports to the United States” and said he was ready “to welcome other investments in strategic sectors: infrastructure, green, digital technology“.
The strategic fund for Made in Italy
In the final press conference, the minister, illustrating the one billion euro strategic fund for Made in Italy, specified that “financial resources from international public or private subjects could be added shortly”, and declared that the United States will be able “provide the best support to increase the financial resources of the fund from the moment of its next creation”. Urso explained that the funds will strengthen the Made in Italy production chains “starting from the procurement phase of raw materials and not just the critical ones”.
Usa: we appreciate Italy’s strong voice in the EU and in NATO
Ukraine was one of the hot topics also touched upon with Gina Raimondo, who appreciated “Italy’s strong voice in the EU and in NATO” and Giorgia Meloni’s decisive position in support of Kiev. The Commerce secretary expects equally decisive action on the reconstruction front, where she has pushed Italian companies to work in partnership with US firms. A request that for Urso is a recognition of the ability of Italian companies to cooperate and collaborate “in every context, especially in a European context and certainly in Ukraine, a country we know and with an economy that is fully complementary to the Italian one”.
Urso: the Italian government will decide on the Silk Road
China remained on the sidelines of the American talks, which in any case remains in the foreground both in trade relations and in the direction of alliances in terms of pro-Washington or pro-Beijing alignment. “We haven’t talked about the Silk Road”, said the minister referring to the meeting with Raimondo and reiterated that whether or not to continue with the protocol “is a decision that the government will take freely in the coming weeks, in full awareness that China was, is and will remain a great commercial partner with whom we have to deal». While acknowledging that in certain sectors of collaboration, security and the national interest must prevail, Urso hoped that “Chinese investments in our country will increase”, especially in green technology or in the electric battery supply chain. It is certain that in any case the confrontation with Beijing remains “systemic” and not only for Italy, but for Europe.