“Distinguished Authorities, ladies and gentlemen, dear all, friends of Italy, dear Australians of Italian origin, dear Italian nationals living Down Under, this year I do not have other means but this written message to share with you a few thoughts in celebration of the Italian National Day, the 2nd of June.
From the moment I arrived in Australia as Ambassador of Italy, in September 2019, I have been looking forward to this day, when I would celebrate the Italian National Day with you all in a much more appropriate manner, but things have gone differently, under the current circumstances.
I will have to wait a bit longer therefore to open the gates of the Residence again, to stand with you all in front of the National flags, Italian and Australian, and of the European Union, to hear and sing our National anthems, to greet you all in person and to enjoy together the warmth of the Italian hospitality.
I would like to all heartedly thank each one of you for the expressions of solidarity and closeness towards Italy and its people facing the pandemic, which claimed so many lives, and brought so much sorrow in our homes, and for the acknowledgments of admiration for the courage, and determination to defeat it and overcome such difficult time.
I look forward to continuing working with you all in order to foster even more the beautiful friendship and cooperation between Italy and Australia, bilateral and multilateral, based on common values, on cultural ties and on our shared desire to see our societies flourish in a comprehensive way, and within a sustainable approach framework.
I look forward to sharing with you soon the emotion of traveling to Italy, to encountering incomparable beauty, art, history and unique way of life.
I am determined to continue working with you all in order to further promote our original, unequaled, Made in Italy, in all its forms, from the more ancient and traditional sectors to the more recent fields including innovation, technology, research and development.
Viva la nostra bella, ed unica, Italia. Ours, yours. Unique patrimony, always innovating, always moving ahead to new avenues of cooperation, and way of living, with our friend Australia.”
