The Italians mark the birth of the Italian Republic on June 2, 1946 and the unification of Italy in 1861. Simone Petroni, the Italian Consul General, welcomed all the guests, dignitaries and members of the Italian community in his welcome address. “This year we are not only marking the national day of the foundation of the Italian Republic, but also the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. 150 years ago, our country was declared a united nation state under Victor Emmanuel II, who would later become the first King of united Italy,” he stated. Petroni gave a brief account of the history of Italy' unification, which began with the movement of uniting Italy, known as Risorgimento or the “resurgence”. Its goal was to unite Italy as a single political and cultural organized state, beginning in 1815 with the Congress of Vienna and culminating with the end of Napoleonic rule. He added that the unification movement sought to make Italy a part of the European political system, “personified by a sentence written in the constitution: ‘the Italians are nation of poets, artists, heroes, saints, thinkers, scientists, navigators and transmigrates',” he said. “We Italian diplomats living abroad are transmigrates. We have continued with the tradition of those Italian merchants who enjoyed excellent trade relations with the East and Middle East. We enjoy strong relations with Muslim and Arab countries; relations which gained even more significance after the unification.” Petroni remarked that the Italian government was the first to establish diplomatic relations with the Kingdom, after signing a friendship treaty in 1932, followed by a commercial treaty lasting a decade the following year. Ever since, political, cultural and economic relations between the countries have grown stronger, covering practically every sector of bilateral interest. “In 2010, we experienced 30 percent growth in trade between Italy and Saudi Arabia, which has been a source of great help to the former as it has been attempting to recover its economic position after the economic downturn in 2007 and 2008,” Petroni remarked. “Italian business delegations are also fast becoming a significant factor behind the strengthening of the relationship. Today, Italy and Saudi Arabia are convinced that the basis of international stability lies in dialogue and mutual relations, under the auspices of international institutions.” Italy is an active member of the United Nations, a founder of the European Union and member of the G20. “Saudi Arabia is a country that, under the wise leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, leading the path to a solid future,” he added. “It is currently an important part of the United Nations, a leading member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and an important member of the G20. Both countries have agreed on the crucial issues of global economic governance, particularly the need to coordinate in national policies and to strengthen infrastructure.” He added: “I am very positive about our relationship. Last week, we signed a contract for the outsourcing of visa services in the Italian consulate here. We are continuously improving the services we provide to users.” Petroni also remarked that the consulate has been investing a lot of effort into boosting cultural exchange between the two countries, by organizing cultural events, exhibitions and visits. Ambassador Ahmed Tayeb expressed appreciation for the Italian Consul General's efforts in enhancing the bilateral relationship between the two countries, adding that the occasion was a great opportunity for him to extend his wishes to the Italian people on their national day as well as laud their efforts to strengthen bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia. “We are proud of the relationship between the two countries and we don't only consider Italy a trade partner, but also a friend and political partner,” he remarked in his address. “We still believe that there is scope to improve and develop our relationship; we appreciate Italy's role in the European Union and within the international arena in helping and supporting us sustain peace in the region.”
