Just over three months since he took up the post of Ambassador of Italy to the UK, Raffaele Trombetta paid his first official visit to Scotland on 9-10 May. The visit had a strong focus on trade, aiming to create opportunities for Italian businesses.
The first day of the visit had a political focus, as the Ambassador, accompanied by the Consul General, Carlo Perrotta, met Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, and Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, to discuss the strong economic, scientific and cultural links between Italy and the UK. They also discussed the protection of the rights of Italian nationals living in Scotland as the UK prepares to leave the EU.
On the second day, the Ambassador met with Linda Fabiani, the deputy presiding officer of the Scottish parliament, who is half Italian, and with Keith Brown, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, to discuss innovation, technology and the digital economy as well as Italy’s manufacturing industry.
The main focus of the visit, however, was economy and trade. Ambassador Trombetta met with the Scottish Minister of the Economy, as well as with Gordon McLeod of Transport Scotland, with whom he looked at potential opportunities for Italian businesses in the transport sector. He also visited Leonardo Airborne & Space Systems, the avionics and space systems division of the Leonardo Group, the largest Italian investor in the UK. He then attended a meeting at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and a promotional event for Ferrari. During his visit he was accompanied by a delegation of Italian entrepreneurs and Roberto Luongo, the head of the Italian Trade Agency in London, with whom he attended a series of trade meetings, organised by the Italian embassy and the Italian Trade Agency, which are likely to give rise to a number of interesting collaborations.
The Ambassador also held a number of meetings with Italians residing in Scotland. One of these meetings was attended by Fiona Hyslop, The Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs. At this event, the Ambassador presented the decoration of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy (Cavaliere OSI) to three Italians living in Scotland, in recognition of their services to the Italian nation.
The visit was an opportunity to remember the 446 victims of the Arandora Star, the ship bound for Canada which left Liverpool on 1 July 1940 and was sunk the following day by a German U-boat. The Ambassador laid a wreath at the memorial for the victims of the tragedy in the Itlaian gardens in Glasgow, following a meeting with Eva Bolander, the Lord Provost of the city, at the Town Hall.
– For further information: stampa.amblondra@esteri.it
– Photo Album of the visit (foto © Roberto Ricciuti Photography)
