“Dear Italian citizens living in Australia, dear Australians of Italian heritage, dear friends of Italy, I am honored to share with you the speech delivered last night by the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella. I take this opportunity to extend to all of you my warmest wishes for the Italian Republic National Day.
In some areas of Australia, it has been possible to carry out modest celebrations in presence, albeit with stringent limitations, in particular with regard to the number of people in attendance, in order to be fully compliant with the requirements set for Covid-safe events.
In other parts of Australia, however, live celebrations could not take place even this year, to avoid running into any potential infection risks, and unintentionally constitute a vector for possible new outbreaks.
I would like once again to thank each one of you for the expressions of solidarity and sympathy during the very long, dark, months of the pandemic in Italy. It is not over, as we well know, but the situation is improving, also thanks to the ongoing vaccination campaign.
I would also like to thank all those who are unable to travel freely to and from Italy, for your cooperation, patience and understanding. It is a very difficult situation; unfortunately, however, taming the pandemic at global level still requires many sacrifices.
However I am sure that thanks to the enormous efforts, progress and achievements of Science, and thanks to the individual will to undergo vaccination, even here in Australia, the common goal of defeating the virus will eventually be achieved.
I would like to reconfirm my personal commitment, and that of the Embassy of Italy as a whole, to further consolidating the beautiful bond of friendship and cooperation between Italy and Australia, both bilaterally and multilaterally, this year also in the context of the Italian G20 Presidency, and as Co-Presidency – in partnership with the United Kingdom – of the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP-26) of the United Nations Framework Conference for Combating Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Our two countries, Italy and Australia share common principles and values, and strong cultural and social ties, thanks also to the daily work of all of you, even in the most innovative sectors and new scientific and technological frontiers, and of those who left Italy in the past, and successfully established their lives in Australia.
Happy Italian Republic National Day”
Francesca Tardioli
