Ambassador Trichilo speaks at the International Energy Forum in Zagreb

(ANSA) - ROMA, 13 OTT - The Italian Ambassador to Croatia, Paolo Trichilo, spoke at the tenth edition of the “International Energy Forum” (Internef), a conference organized in Zagreb by the “Institute for European and Globalization Studies,” under the patronage of the Croatian Parliament and the Ministries of Economy, Agriculture, and the Environment. The Forum, dedicated this year to the theme “Energy and Food Sovereignty in an Era of Deglobalization,” was attended by distinguished representatives from the local and international institutional and private sectors. Speaking at the panel dedicated to the perspectives of ambassadors accredited to Croatia (including those from Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan) on the forum’s themes, the ambassador emphasized Italy’s commitment to strengthening its position as a key energy hub for Europe, reducing its energy dependence, and investing in renewable energy sources. This objective informs not only Italy’s relations with countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean and in Africa—through ambitious initiatives such as the Mattei Plan—but also its cooperation with Adriatic partners, including Croatia. In this regard, he cited the “North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV),” an EU-funded project aimed at creating an integrated ecosystem based on clean hydrogen, involving Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia. The ambassador also highlighted the importance of Italy’s agri-food sector, which accounts for 15% of the national GDP, with Italy ranking first in the EU for agricultural value added, as well as being a world leader in PDO and PGI products with nearly 900 registrations. He also cited the example of the “Food Valley” in the Po Valley, which represents one of the most advanced systems of integration between agriculture and industry, comprising over 300 companies, approximately 10,000 employees, and a turnover of 6 billion euros. As for the promotion of sustainable agricultural models, projects with Croatia under the Interreg 2021–2027 Program focus on agricultural modernization, technological innovation, and biodiversity conservation. Another example is the cooperation agreement on agrivoltaics, renewable energy development, and sustainable land use, signed this year in Opatija between the Croatian Association for Renewable Energy Sources (RES Croatia/OIEH) and the Italian Association for Sustainable Agrivoltaics (AIAS). Italy and Croatia also cooperate within regional frameworks, starting with MED9, which, held this year under the Croatian presidency, highlighted the full alignment between the two countries on innovation, sustainability, and improving living conditions in rural areas.
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