We celebrate Italy on the occasion of the National Day, 2nd of June 2022!

On the occasion of the National day of Italy, I wish to congratulate my fellow Nationals for their continuous and appreciated activities in Tanzania that contribute to our great image in this Country. I also wish to thank all the friends that are working for building stronger ties between Italy and Tanzania. Please count always on the support of the Embassy of Italy whose goal is to bring mutual prosperity to two of the most beautiful Countries in the world.

So many things have changed since the last celebration of 2 June 2021. During that difficult time, the world was on lockdown and we had to be extremely cautious even while we were greeting each other. However, today, so many developments have taken place and we are now more optimistic about the future and are looking forward to continuing working together towards bringing mutual benefits to Italy and Tanzania.

In this framework, I am keen to announce that the Italy-Tanzania Business Forum will be held in this beautiful Country at the end of September 2022. We are also finalizing the opening of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in Dar es Salaam, that will manage important projects in Vocational Training, National Statistics, the Blue Economy, Women Empowerment and Mother and Child Health. It is a very challenging endeavor, but with the support of the Italian Community in Tanzania, we believe we will be successful.

Italy is well known in Tanzania and worldwide for history, art, lifestyle, culture and beauty. We are strongly committed to preserve those amazing features that make my Country unique in the world. We believe that our heritage belongs to all mankind. Tanzania is indeed in our hearts. We are interested in further developing, cultural and commercial cooperation with Tanzania, whose economy is growing very fast. We are looking forward to building partnerships on a win-win basis with our Tanzanian friends. In this framework, I am glad to announce that Italy has presented the candidature of Rome to host EXPO 2030. We count on our Tanzanian friends’ support!

In the last 20 years, the Italian private sector has invested more than 2 billion US Dollars in Zanzibar. We want to continue the trend and we hope that many other Italian investments will be made in many other sectors of the economy of Tanzania. We have important investments in Iringa, economic partnerships in Moshi and in the district of Uvinza.

We, at the Embassy of Italy, strongly believe in the importance of people to people cooperation. Dialogue and common projects among civil societies are a key factors in the positive development and evolution of relations between States. For this reason, we welcome the very important work undertaken, since more than 100 years ago, by Italian NGOs and Missionaries in this Country. We praise their activities that are very successful and very meaningful both for Italy and Tanzania.

We express great satisfaction for the new approach of the Tanzanian Authorities towards Italian NGOs, like the recent meeting held in Rome by the Tanzanian Ambassador, H.E. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, with the Italian Civil Society involved in Tanzania.

The highly strategical geographical position of Tanzania is already contributing to the development of international trade, commerce and traffics in Africa, but also in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. We are indeed aware of these great opportunities. Italy is strongly committed to give its contribution to such a success story.

Italy and Tanzania have given a big contribution to History! In Tanzania, the Ngorongoro Crater and Conservation Area is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world. Olduvai Gorge, located in the Conservation Area, is a major archaeological discovery of the 1950s. The fossils discovered there are said to be the earliest known evidence of Homo Sapiens. In Italy, thanks to Ancient Rome, civilization, as we know it today, is where it was born. These very important aspects must push us to work even harder to achieve our common goals.

We attach great importance to political cooperation with Tanzania both at a bilateral and a multilateral level. We welcome the important progress in the relation between Tanzania and our European Union Family and we wish for a continuous improvement of our political ties in order to find positive solutions to the common challenges of the contemporary world like those related to the Russian aggression of Ukraine.

Together with all the Staff of the Embassy of Italy in the United Republic of Tanzania, I wish again a Happy National Day to all Italians, Tanzanian Institutions and Citizens and to all our Friends committed to further improving our bilateral ties.

Viva l’Italia!

Ambassador Marco Lombardi.