New consulate general of Italy inaugurated in Brussels

Brussels – A new location to better represent Italy in Belgium. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani attended today (May 27) the ceremony for the opening of the consulate general in Brussels. With the new diplomatic headquarters, Italy wants to emphasize the importance of its relations with Belgium and its capital, which hosts the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, as well as its closeness to the many Italians in the country.

More than 300,000 Italians live in Belgium, which is also why Tajani said it was important to open a consulate general in the capital, which can be a more solid point of reference for all these people. The new diplomatic structure (whose head will be Francesco Varriale) will join the existing ones: the embassy in Brussels and the consulate general in Charleroi. The foreign minister also mentioned how diplomats in Belgium have historically been understaffed, and although new forces have already arrived, more officials will follow.

The consulate’s offices are located at 38, Rue de Livourne, the same location as the Italian Cultural Institute. The Kingdom of Italy purchased the building in 1932 to spread Italy’s image abroad ahead of the 1935 Brussels Expo.

Today’s inauguration of the consulate general was also an opportunity to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Guardia di Finanza (Finance Police) and the 10th anniversary of the Brussels branch of the National Association of Finance Police of Italy. For the occasion, a brass quintet (consisting of two trumpets, a horn, a trombone, and a tuba bass) from the Fiamme Gialle band—Yellow Flames, this is what the Finance Police are called in Italy—played several pieces before a large audience.

The work of strengthening Italian diplomacy is also taking place within the European Commission: for the first time, a MAECI official will join the General Secretariat, while another Italian diplomat will integrate the Task Force for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, established at the Secretariat.

Particular attention was then paid to the Union’s European External Action Service (EEAS), especially with reference to those countries considered fundamental to our foreign policy. In this framework, Nicola Orlando has recently taken up his post as Head of the EU Delegation in Tripoli, while Giuseppe Perrone will soon begin the same role in Tunis.

Tajani also wants to act on Italian participation in other European bodies. For this reason, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has created an ad hoc working group to promote the entry of Italian Seconded National Experts (END) into EU institutions and agencies. These are professional figures chosen in synergy with the administrations concerned, who will fill positions considered priorities for Italy’s national interests, among which the newly established Office for Artificial Intelligence of the European Commission stands out. On the other hand, in this very field, Italian Luca Taglieretti was recently appointed Executive Director of the European Centre of Competence in Cyber Security.