I would like to thank President Fischer for his friendly welcome which reflects the excellent nature of the relations and of the cooperation between Austria and Italy.
During our talks, we found our positions on all the main issues on the international and European agenda to be in total harmony. With respect to migration, the European Union and, within it, all the Member States, must assume their responsibilities. It is an epochal phenomenon, with growing dimensions and intensity, which needs to be managed not by single States, which cannot be expected to as they would not be in the position to do it, but can only be handled by the European Union as a whole, through the joint management of the European Union.
We found to be in total agreement on numerous topics; we looked at the different conditions or difficulties of international crises, spanning from Syria to Ukraine, on which our views totally coincided.
We said how positive, intense and fruitful is the collaboration, also at economic level, between Austria and Italy, expressing the wish to increasingly intensify it, with the same spirit of friendship and cooperation.
I thanked President Fischer and Austria for their presence at the Milan Expo with a magnificent pavilion that was amply visited and appreciated by all Expo visitors. The Austrian pavilion was among the most visited and appreciated.
We also agreed on our common commitment in favour of the Brenner Base Tunnel. We have a host of common commitments that we intend to develop, as always, on the basis of our great collaboration.
President Fischer mentioned the Alto Adige-South Tyrol region: the autonomy of this province is essential for Italy, an example of collaboration, cooperation and positive dialogue. Ever since the De Gasperi-Gruber Treaty, it has represented to the international community an example of how to realise cohabitation and an effective autonomy with great prospects for the future.
We also share the conviction that the European Union must be more active and present on all issues.
The full agreement between Austria and Italy on the European Union and on all the important issues on the international agenda is proof that our friendship is sound, with ever-growing perspectives, and enables me to state that the amity between Austria and Italy matches the great friendship that exists between President Fischer and me.
