12th Italy-Latin America and Caribbean Conference

Conference in Rome

Rome [ENA] The 12th Italy-Latin America and Caribbean Conference has been taken place in Rome on October 7, 2025. This biennial conference is the principal forum for political dialogue and discussion, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in collaboration with the Italo-Latin American Institute (IILA), the first of which was held in 2003. Italy has historically given the Latin American and

Caribbean region a prominent position in its foreign policy, partly due to the numerous Italian communities present and their importance. One of the key areas of collaboration between Italy and Latin America and the Caribbean is legal diplomacy: over 3,000 Latin American magistrates have been trained in Italy to fight organized crime. Italy and Latin America share a culture, religion, and languages ​​that stem from the same roots: Latin America is of strategic interest to Italy. Following a speech by Antonio Tajani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio President pro tempore of CELAC 2025, spoke. Colombia is organizing the CELAC-European Union summit in Santa Marta

Paul Gallagher

next November, whose key themes will be political, energy, digital, and environmental revitalization. A month before the summit in Colombia, Minister Villavicencio stated that "it is important to highlight the Italy-Latin America-Caribbean partnership." There is also great synchronicity between Italy, a member of the EU, and Colombia, which currently also holds the Presidency of the Italo-Latin American Institute. It is necessary to strengthen investment and financing mechanisms that also serve to sustain the international system. Next, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, spoke.

Countless ties exist between the Holy See and Latin America. The Holy See considers dialogue the best instrument for bringing peoples together. "When there is a desire to meet, there is also the possibility of religious freedom. Current challenges are also at the heart of the papal magisterium: the Holy See is closely following the preparations for COP30, which will be held in Belén, Brazil," Gallagher said. Migration is another modern-day tragedy, and it is essential to prevent violence and fight drug trafficking. The meeting between Italy and Latin America will always be able to count on the Holy See's cooperation. After Gallagher, Peruvian Minister of Foreign Relations, Elmer José Schialer Salcedo, co-president of the Conference, spoke.

Representatives of ICE, SACE, Simest, and CDP opened the conference. It should be remembered that Italy is the second largest in the world in terms of the diversity of its businesses. According to the SACE report, Italian exports to Latin America will continue to experience significant growth in 2025, with forecasts indicating a 5.1% increase. This expansion is supported by energy transition programs and infrastructure investments in the region's main markets, such as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. https://youtu.be/u20rBZ2lOgQ?feature=shared