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| Italian Ambassador to South Korea Federico Failla delivers a speech at an event celebrating the country's Republic Day at his residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Embassy of Italy in Korea |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The Embassy of Italy in Korea hosted an event, Friday, marking the 77th anniversary of the country's birth.
Italian Ambassador to Korea Federico Failla highlighted the country's longstanding commitment to upholding fundamental democratic values, freedom, human rights and promoting international peace and security in partnership with Korea, ahead of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year.
"In 1946, Italy decided to have a clean break with its recent past and to start a new chapter of its system. Italy became a founding member of the European Union and a responsible member and top contributor to the UN budget in UN peace operations," he said during the ceremony held at his residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul.
Failla emphasized the importance of collaboration in dealing with global threats.
"We have global challenges in front of us that are threatening our societies, such as climate change, ocean pollution and pandemics for which the answer must be found in international cooperation," he said.
The ambassador saw Korea as a crucial ally for Italy in the pursuit peace and security.
"The Embassy of Italy in Seoul is determined to have closer dialogue with the Republic of Korea in every sector, for instance, to explore synergies between the Korean strategy for the Indo-Pacific and the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. In times of international crisis, we must keep looking for new opportunities for growth, inclusive change and improved global cooperation," Failla said.
The ambassador also announced his departure from Korea later this year.
"I will be leaving Korea in a few months. So we want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your friendship and cooperation. It has been a great journey and Korea will stay always in our heart," he said.
Tae Jun-youl, foreign policy advisor to the prime minister, gave a congratulatory speech on behalf of the Korean government, underscoring robust ties between the two countries.
"Italy stands as Korea's third-largest trading partner in Europe... The volume of bilateral trade reached an all-time-high last year, and this year being even bigger than last year, showcasing the immense potential for further collaboration," Tae said.
"Beyond the economic cooperation, our collaboration extended into diverse areas of mutual interest, such as bio-health, robotics and clean energy, which present the best opportunities for us to work together and achieve breakthroughs that will benefit our society," he added.
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