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Vincenzo Amendola, the undersecretary for foreign affairs, visits London and Manchester; expresses solidarity with the British people and discusses the protection of UK-based Italians’ rights post-Brexit

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2 June 2017
– The visit to the UK by Vincenzo Amendola began with the National Day celebrations at the Embassy of Italy, where he was hosted by the ambassador, Pasquale Terracciano. The event was also attended by Director General for Italians Abroad and Migration Policy and by ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, the first Italian woman in space and the holder of the European record for time spent in orbit.

In his speech at the event, Amendola emphasised that although the UK is leaving the EU it is not leaving Europe and that Brexit presents a new challenge for the stability and prosperity of the Old Continent. He also explained that Italy is working to ensure that the Brexit negotiations run smoothly, minimising the negative repercussions on Europe and on EU-UK cooperation.

The ambassador pointed out in his speech that Italy and the EU share a number of values: the protection of peace, support for human rights, and the fight against terrorism in all its forms, as expressed in a G7 statement following the recent Taormina conference.
The undersecretary and director general Vignali then went to the Waterloo campus of King’s College to meet with members of the university’s Italian society and the Jean Monnet Centre for Europe in the World. This was the second such meeting he had attended since the Brexit referendum.

Undersecretary Amendola presented an update on developments concerning Brexit, as well as explaining Italy’s position in the negotiations, which will begin after the upcoming British elections, and describing the potential scenarios for Italians based in the UK.
He reiterated the Italian government’s commitment to protecting Italian citizens, adding that this was a key point for the negotiations and an absolute priority for Italy. He reminded the audience that the friendship between Italy and the UK has deep roots and transcends any international agreements. Director General Vignali underlined, among other things, the importance of such meetings for taking stock of specific issues of concern for the Italian community.

3 June 2017 – The following day Amendola and Director General Vignali travelled to Manchester, where they met with the lord mayor, Eddy Newman, to whom the undersecretary offered the condolences and good wishes of the Italian government and citizens after the terrorist attack in Manchester on 22 May, in which 22 people, many of them very young, lost their lives and over 120 were injured.
Amendola emphasised that Italy and the UK collaborate closely on peace and security and pointed out that the G7’s Taormina statement on the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, issued days after the attack, marks an important step forward in the G7’s commitment to mitigate against terrorist propaganda, foreign fighters and the financing of terrorist organisations.

Amendola and the ambassador signed the book of condolences before going to St Ann’s Square, where a memorial was set up for the victims of the attack. After observing a minute of silence, Amendola laid a bunch of flowers at the memorial.

Later that morning, Amendola met with representatives of Italian communities and associations in Manchester and attended a ceremony in which a number of decorations of Order of the Star of Italy were presented. He gave a speech highlighting the Italian government’s commitment towards Italians living in the UK, particularly in view of Brexit. He also told the audience that plans were underway to reopen a consulate in Manchester.

4 June 2017 – Amendola visited London Bridge, where another terrorist attack had been carried out the previous evening. He offered condolences on behalf of the Italian people, highlighting the great friendship between Italy and the UK and pointing out that this friendship is strengthened by the two countries’ collaboration against international terrorism.

The undersecretary ended his visit with a meeting at the Italian consulate, which began with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the London Bridge attack. Amendola said that no Italians were known to have been involved but that the crisis unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British authorities were carrying out checks. He also highlighted the necessity of continuing to work together against the hatred, violence and fear to prevent them from threatening democratic, peaceful coexistence.

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