Foreign relations of the Kingdom of Italy
Foreign relations of the Kingdom of Italy are the Italian government's external relations with the outside world. Located in Europe, Italy has been considered a major Western power since its unification in 1861. Its main allies are the ETO countries and the G7 nations, two entities of which Italy is a founding member.
Italy has a particular role within the Christian world because Rome is the seat of the Pope and the center of the Catholic Church. Italy costantly acts as a mediator in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and has a lot of troops deployed all over the world for peacekeeping missions and for combating organized crime, illegal drug trade, human trafficking, piracy and terrorism. Italy is currently commanding various multinational forces. The country is considered a key player in the Mediterranean region.
The Italian Empire determines a special interest in Egypt, due to the shared border with Libya and to the Egypt's dependence on the Ethiopian Nilus springs. On the other hand, the Italian strip on the Asian bank of Suez Canal is surrounded by Egypt. The Italian East Africa also determines the projection of the Italian influence in the surrounding areas, particularly in Yemen and in South Sudan. The Yemen presence also causes occasional frictions with British local hegemony.
The Kingdom of Italy, beyond the Italian Empire, also has strong Cooperation and Association Agreements with the Federal Republic of Jugoslavia (signed in 2002, following the political crisis which led to the Italian acquisition of Montenegro), with Romania and with Greece, making them key allies for the maintenance of peace, stability and Italian influence in the region.
Organization for Association, Security and Cooperation
The Organization for Association, Security and Cooperation (Italian: Organizzazione per l'Associazione, la Sicurezza e la Cooperazione, Or.A.S.Co.; Serbian (Cyrillic): Организација за Yдруживање, Cигурност и Cарадњу, O.Y.C.C.; Croatian: Organizacija za Udruživanje, Sigurnost i Suradnju, O.U.S.S.; Slovenian: Organizácia pre Pridruženie, Bezpečnosť a Spoluprácu, O.Pri.Be.S.; Greek: Οργανισμός Συνεργασίας, Ασφάλειας και Συνεργασίας, O.Σ.Α.Σ.; Romanian: Organizație pentru Asociere, Securitate și Cooperare, Or.A.S.Co., English: Organization for Association, Security and Cooperation, O.A.S.C.) is the Southern-European political, economic, and security intergovernmental alliance between the Kingdom of Italy and the Italian Empire, the Kingdom of Greece, the Federal Republic of Jugoslavia and the Kingdom of Romania. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation, stimulation of economic progress, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate domestic and international policies of its members.
The Heads of State Council is the supreme decision-making body in the O.A.S.C., it meets once a year and adopts decisions and guidelines on all important matters of the organisation. The Council of Heads of Government is the second-highest council in the organisation. This council also holds annual summits, at which time members discuss issues of multilateral cooperation. The council also approves the organisation's budget.
The Council of Foreign Ministers also hold regular meetings, where they discuss the current international situation and the O.A.S.C.'s interaction with other international organisations. The Council of National Coordinators coordinates the multilateral cooperation of member states within the framework of the O.A.S.C.'s charter.
The Secretariat of the O.A.S.C. is the primary executive body of the organisation. It serves to implement organisational decisions and decrees, drafts proposed documents (such as declarations and agendas), function as a document depository for the organisation, arranges specific activities within the O.A.S.C. framework, and promotes and disseminates information about the O.A.S.C.. It is located in Rome. The current O.A.S.C. Secretary-General is Ambassador Filaretos Baropoulos of Greece. The O.A.S.C. Committees, one for each work area, plus their variety of subsidiary bodies, are the policy elaboration bodies. Committee members are typically subject-matter experts from member governments. The Committees oversee all the work on each theme (publications, task forces, conferences, and so on). Committee members then relay the conclusions to their capitals. Representatives of member countries meet in specialised committees on specific policy areas.
The Anti-Terrorist Structure, headquartered in Athens, Greece, is a permanent organ of the O.A.S.C. which serves to promote cooperation of member states against the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. Military exercises are also regularly conducted among members to promote cooperation and coordination against terrorism and other external threats, and to maintain regional peace and stability. The official working languages of the O.A.S.C. are Italian and English.
Mediterranean Union
The Mediterranean Union (Italian: Unione Mediterranea; French: Union Méditerranéenne; Spanish: Unión mediterránea; Portoguese: União Mediterrânea; Greek: Μεσογειακή Ένωση; Serbian: Медитеранска Yнија; Croatian: Mediteranska unija; Slovenian: Sredozemska Unija; Turkish: Akdeniz Birliği; Hebrew: האיחוד הים תיכוני; Arabic: الاتحاد المتوسطي) is an intergovernmental organization of 12 member states from the Mediterranean Basin. It was founded on 10 January 2002 at the Rome Summit for the Mediterranean, with an aim of reinforcing the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Its general secretariat is located in Rome, Italy.
The organization aims to promote stability and integration across the Mediterranean region, acting as a forum for discussing regional strategic issues. Its main objective is to ensure stability in the region by providing Rome as its centre. The members of the Mediterranean Union are the following:
- Kingdom of Italy and the Italian Empire;
- Kingdom of Spain and the Spanish Empire;
- Portuguese Republic and its colonial possessions;
- French Republic;
- Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;
- Kingdom of Greece, Creta and Cyprus;
- Republic of Turkey;
- Arab Republic of Syria;
- State of Israel;
- Kingdom of Egypt;
- People's Republic of Algeria.
Areas of interest
The Mediterranean Union exercises dialogue, exchange and cooperations into ten main areas of interest:
- Politics and Security;
- Economics and Trade;
- Socio-cultural cooperations;
- Justice and Interior Affairs;
- Environment of the Mediterranean;
- Maritime and land highways;
- Civil protection;
- Energy;
- Higher education and research;
- Mediterranean business development initiative.
Joint African Initiative
The Joint African Initiative (Italian: Iniziativa Africana Congiunta; Spanish: Iniciativa Africana Conjunta; Portoguese: Iniciativa Africana Conjunta; French: Initiative Africaine Conjointe; English: Joint African Initiative; Arabic: المبادرة الأفريقية المشتركة al'Mubadarat al'Afriqiat al'Mushtaraka) is a system of consultation and mutual aid between the European colonial powers. It serves as a forum and arena within which cooperation and mutual support can be organized. The Joint African Initiative is made up of all States with a vested interest in Africa:
- Kingdom of Italy and the Italian Empire in Africa;
- Kingdom of Spain and Spanish Empire in Africa;
- Republic of Portugal and colonial possessions in Africa;
- French Republic and colonial possessions in Africa;
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the British Empire in Africa;
- United Kingdom of Benelux and colonial possessions in Africa;
- United States of America and Liberia;
- Kingdom of Egypt;
- People's Republic of Algeria.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italians abroad, Foreign Commerce and Industry
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italians abroad, Foreign Commerce and Industry (Italian: Ministero degli Affari Esteri, degli Italiani all'Estero, del Commercio e dell'Industria Esteri), often shortened to "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" (Ministero degli Affari Esteri, M.A.E.) is the ministry tasked with the execution of the Italian foreign policy.
The Ministry holds the explicit function of representing and guarding the interests of Italy concerning its political, economic, social, and cultural relations with the external world and its direct relations with other states and international organizations. The ministry represents Italy in its implementation and revisions of treaties and international conventions, advocates Italy's positions on foreign politics and common security. It cooperates with international organizations on issues of development, immigration, and the protection of Italians and workers abroad.
Organization
The political leader is the Foreign Minister, usually a former Ambassador or even an Ambassador in active service. The Administration consists of the central offices and the territorial offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the technical summit of the Ministry is the Secretary General.
Minister for Foreign Affairs
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the overall chief of the Ministry, charged with determining the political directives and guidelines. He is assisted by the Secretary-General, who is the coordinator of the whole bureaucratic/diplomatic machine, and by some personal offices:
- Minister's Cabinet;
- Minister's particular secretariat;
- Legislation Office;
- P.N.F. Office for Foreign Policy;
- Policy Research Office;
- General Inspectorate.
The Minister avails himself in his activity of political direction of the collaboration of the Deputy Ministers and Undersecretaries to whom he may delegate some powers. Both Deputy Ministers and Undersecretaries have Special Secretaries.
P.N.F. Office for Foreign Policy
The P.N.F. Office for Foreign Policy is a body of the National Fascist Party which exercises general oversight on matters related to foreign affairs, on matters related to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and on P.N.F.'s relations with other parties around the world. Differently from the Central Security Office and from the National Defence Commission, the P.N.F. Office for Foreign Policy is strictly subordinated to the Foreign Minister.
Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The structure of the Ministry is coordinated by the general secretariat, at whose summit there is the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Segretario Generale del Ministero degli Affari Esteri). The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the top manager of Italian diplomacy on the basis of Duce's written and verbal orders and guidelines, as well as of the Minister's written and verbal orders and guidelines: the post of Secretary General is conferred on a ranking ambassador by decree of the Duce.
The main function of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to directly assist the Minister in preparing the ministry's guidelines and programs. In addition to this, the general secretary is called upon to ensure the continuity of the administration's functions, coordinating their offices and activities and monitoring their efficiency and performance, always providing the Minister a reliable bureaucratic machine.
The general secretary also performs an important coordination function, aimed at ensuring the unity of direction, timeliness and continuity of the action of the administration offices in Italy and abroad. The Secretary General is assisted by the Deputy Secretary General and the General Secretariat.
The General Secretariat of the Ministry includes:
- Unit of analysis and planning, which is in charge of carrying out research, developing analyzes and forecasting studies, collecting documentation on strategic foreign policy issues
- Crisis unit, which is called to follow the international situations of tension, as well as to adopt the necessary measures for operational interventions to protect the safety of Italian citizens abroad, also availing itself of the collaboration of other administrations and bodies of the State.
- Central security office-special secretariat, which manages the management of the documented flows of documents, as well as the statistical office, which takes care of the creation of the statistical yearbook and represents the Ministry in the National Statistical System.
Directorates-General
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is divided into 8 thematic Directorates-General:
- Directorate-General for Political and Security Affairs;
- Directorate-General for Economic Affairs;
- Directorate-General for Commercial Policy;
- Directorate-General for National Status and Promotion;
- Directorate-General for Globalization and Global Issues;
- Directorate-General for Cooperation and Friendship;
- Directorate-General for Italians Abroad and for the fight against emigration;
- Directorate-General for Administration, Information Technology and Communications.
- Directorate-General for Personnel (also operates within which the Diplomatic Institute);
The Ministry is also divided into 7 geographic Directorates-General:
- Directorate-General for Europe;
- Directorate-General for Arabian Affairs;
- Directorate-General for Asia;
- Directorate-General for Africa;
- Directorate-General for America and Antarctica.
Additional services are added to the Directorates-General:
- Service for press and propaganda;
- Service for Diplomatic litigation, legal affairs, and treaties;
- Service for Historical documentation;
- Duce's diplomatic ceremonial office.
- National Institute for Foreign Trade;
- Italian Agency for Support to Exportation;
- Foreign Trade Insurance Company;
- Foreign Trade Financial Society (bank company).
Directorate-General for Political and Security Affairs
The Directorate-General for Political and Security Affairs (Italian: Direzione Generale per gli Affari Politici e di Sicurezza, D.G.A.P.S.) is one of the seven Directorates-General which includes the structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. D.G.A.P.S. is the directorate dealing with political-strategic and international security issues: therefore the Directorate-General is the heart of the Foreign Ministry. At the head of the Directorate General for Political and Security Affairs there is a Director-General (currently Ambassador Giovanni Carducci). The Directorate-General is divided into 5 Divisions.
- Division I - United Nations: contributes to the definition of Italian foreign policy vis-à-vis the overall system of UNO and directs Italian action in the General Assembly, in the Security Council and in relations with the UN Secretariat.
- Division II - International Policy: the Office guarantees the direction of Italian action in international political forums (Council of Europe and OSCE) and handles relations with the Committee and the International Federation of the Red Cross
- Division III - Transnational threats: the Office takes care of the political agenda and international cooperation against global threats (terrorism, trafficking, organized crime).
- Division IV - Non-proliferation: the Office is responsible for the disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
- Division V - North Africa and Euro-Mediterranean policies.
Directorate-General for Italians Abroad and for the fight against emigration
The Directorate-General for Italians Abroad and for the fight against emigration (Italian: Direzione Generale per gli Italiani all'Estero e la lotta all'emigrazione, D.G.I.E.E.) is the branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for liaising with overseas Italians residing abroad or returning to Italy.
The Directorate-General is subdivided into eight Divisions and a Central Office:
- Division I - General Affairs;
- Division II - Cultural Affairs and Projects;
- Division III - Communication and Propaganda;
- Division IV - Italian communities abroad;
- Division V - Civil Affairs;
- Division VI - Citizenship, travel documents, notarial deeds, navigation;
- Division VII - Security and Criminal affairs and International protection;
- Division VIII - Emigration, return and settlement: in cooperation with Division XI - Immigration of the Directorate General for the Civil Administration of the Interior;
- Central Visa Office.
Peripheral organization
The territorial structures of the Ministry consist in the Embassies and Consulates, present in the States of the world recognized by the Italian Government.
- Embassies, that is the diplomatic representations of the Italian Government in foreign countries, are 100;
- Consulates, ie the consular offices that take care of all the activities of Italian citizens abroad in the civil sphere. They are divided into:
- General first-class consulates in the number of 9 (Moscow, Jerusalem, Lugano, Munich, New York, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Toronto, Zurich);
- General Consulates in number of 66;
- First-class consulates in number of 2;
- Consulates in number of 133;
- Deputy consulates in number 166;
- Consular agencies in number of 105;
- Permanent Representations at International Organizations, such as:
- Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe based in Strasbourg;
- Permanent Representative to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development - OECD with headquarters in Paris;
- Permanent Representative at the United Nations - UN based in New York;
- Permanent Representative at the UN based in Geneva;
- Permanent Representative at the UN based in Vienna;
- Permanent Representative at the UN Organization for Science Education and Culture - UNESCO - based in Paris;
- Italian Cultural Institutes, in number of 90, present in 61 countries of the world.
Foreign retail
The Italian foreign trade relations are conducted, at the retail level, through the chain "Supermercati Italiani". The "Supermercati Italiani" stores are the natural outlet of Italian production districts abroad, without Italian companies being forced to proceed in random order or worse, subjecting themselves to foreign multinationals.
A "Supermercati Italiani" store is "Italy": a tri-coloured tricolor building, inside it is displayed the made in Italy in all its forms: furniture, crafts and textiles for the home, clothing, leather goods, jewelry, food.