ROMA (ITALPRESS) – The updating and strengthening of the role of Italy, in an increasingly central region in different sectors, is the new Italian strategic document on the Arctic, articulated on three fronts, security, scientific research and economic development, and presented this morning with a conference, organized in Villa Madama, to which the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Antonio Tajani, the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto and the Editorial Office.
In addition, representatives of the institutions, members of the Artic Table and members of the business world participated in the event dedicated to Italian Arctic Policy.
To open the meeting were the words of the President of the Council Giorgia Meloni, by letter: “The government has a 360o approach to a nerve region in global geopolitical competition. Italy has never considered the Arctic as a remote area without any interest. On the contrary, we have always looked at this dial of the world for what it is, a strategic region, where economics, environment, research and energy are interwoven. And today more than ever security and defence. The acceleration impressed by climate change to the development of the arctic routes is changing the scenario to which we were accustomed. It is drawing new interconnectednesses that could condition maritime trade.”.
The President of the Council continued: “Italy is aware of how this region of the world represents a strategic dial in global balances and intends to continue to do its part to preserve the Arctic as a area of peace, cooperation and prosperity. We are an observer country in the Arctic Council and have always supported the respect of international law, starting with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We are convinced that the Arctic should be a priority of the European Union and NATO. And that the Atlantic alliance should take the opportunity to develop in the region a coordinated presence and able to prevent tensions, preserve stability and respond to the ingestion of other actors.”
Finally in the letter Meloni explained: “The new strategy aims to strengthen Italy’s role as a reliable partner, able to promote cooperation, sustainability and innovation. Because we are aware that what happens in the great north is not distant but it concerns the future of all of us, our well-being, our prosperity and our security.”
The document, developed during 2025, enhances the role so far assumed by Italy in Artico and outlines a strategic vision, together with a series of long-term objectives, to strengthen the Italian commitment in the region. This commitment will focus on the three directors of security, scientific research and economic development, bringing together the different forces of the Country System, in the perspective of a more incisive action of Italy in Arctic.
Among the main objectives outlined, there are those to consolidate the role of Italy as a non-Arctic country. Contribute to the maintenance of the Arctic as a stability area, preventing escalation dynamics and supporting multilateral mechanisms of dialogue and cooperation. To strengthen on the one hand the European-Atlantic collective security, in accordance with NATO and EU commitments and with an integrated vision of the different strategic theatres and on the other, also at bilateral level, relations with the European arts countries (Denmark/Far Oer/Groenlandia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), supporting the growing engagement of the European Union on Arctic issues. Finally, strengthen Italian scientific research in Artico and take advantage of the economic opportunities that are opening up for Italian companies.
The new strategic document, adopted ten years away from the first, modernizes Italian policies in the current phase of increasing global importance of the region.
“Italy has a strategic vision of the political presence in the Arctic region – said Deputy Premier and Minister Tajani –. The Arctic for us has always represented a particular interest from the point of view of navigation, security and economic interest.” What happens today, he added, “it requires us to update our political, economic and research action. We are interested in the stability of the area to an increasing presence of the European Union and NATO, because with the geopolitical comparisons we have in these months, years and these days we cannot fail to have an updated strategy.”.
“When I was vice president of the European commission in 2012 I was in Greenland, which in these days is at the center of global attention,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, recalling his visit to sign a collaboration agreement on rare lands and to highlight “the attention of Europe and Italy” that “is not born today. We have always recognized her a centrality.” From the geo-strategic point of view, therefore, the goal is “to ensure that the security of the West is guaranteed by strong political action and also security. It is not a matter of sending ten – twenty soldiers but it means having a strategy in the head. We have a 360o joint vision. We are observatories on the Arctic Council but we are also active part” and this means “working intensively even from the economic point of view”.
“The Arctic is rich in raw materials and from this point of view we must also think about mobilizing our enterprises – he explained -. We are preparing with our embassy in Copenhagen an entrepreneurial mission dedicated to the Arctic theme, where there are defense industries, Leonardo and Fincantieri that operate in that area. Also because we are able to realize search ships, like those that uses our Navy. We must give life,” he said, “at an artificial business table with all our major industrial groups in key sectors, defense, energy, environment, space that are already present in the arts. We want to support them in a context of internationalization of our business system and to be at the forefront also for export in this part of the world. We will put the Arctic region among the priorities of the agenda for the internationalization of our production fabric”.
“Italy must maintain an economic, commercial, research and military presence in a part that will become increasingly strategic – said Minister Crosetto -. It is a part of the world that is not like others because the country that has the longest border with this new piece of world is Russia that will make it worth it all the way.”
The Minister of Defense added: “The day that the war will end in Ukraine most of the Russian resources will be moved to this sector, as NATO is moving, which has focused all the politics of the north ever closer to the Arctic. As Trump’s statements show, referring to Greenland.”
“The defense has long been interested in the Arctic,” said Minister Crosetto. “Our Navy has always been engaged there with its ships. Our Aeronautica cooperates and helps the research agencies that work there.” And then he also cited the Army exercises “which did not begin now and are not 15 soldiers sent on a trip to Greenland. I can’t understand the presence. Imagine 15 Italians, 15 French and 15 Germans. It seems the beginning of a joke. I think it is our interest to keep the Western world and the free world. I am to broaden and not fragment a world already broken.”.
“We are not zero in the Arctic. In our Italian station there are all”, said Minister Bernini. “We are protagonists in the Arctic and polar sciences because we started fifty years ago to invest deeply: human capital, materials and infrastructure”. Bernini then explained in the margin of the conference: “ Among the many things in which we have to make a system there is the creation of national poles for the Arctic that unite our research infrastructures” which are ‘links’. After that, he expressed the need for an extension from the point of view of Arctic agriculture because ‘there are raw materials of rare lands that support technological agriculture. On this we have a lot to do and the coordination poles are rich in ideas for the future.’ And on resources he concluded: ‘We have so many. As a ministry we have made available many funds both on national centres and on artic research. We have a national plan that is refinanced every year and is one of the untouchable posts.
– photo xl5/Italpress –
(ITALPRESS).
