“The Mediterranean Sea represents a historical heritage for our country which draws support from it for the national economy and therefore support for the well-being and prosperity of its businesses and citizens” thus began the speech of the Undersecretary of State for Defense Matteo Perego of Cremnago on the third and last day of the first edition of the “Risorsa Mare” Forum in Trieste.
“Our country, with almost 8.000 km of coastline, 15 regions overlooking the sea, an island maritime system and 29 marine protected areas, is the maritime nation at the center of the Mediterranean, where the flow of routes that connect the 'Indo-Pacific to Atlantic Ocean and Europe' continued the undersecretary “it is the southern flank of two international alliances/organizations such as NATO and the European Union which have placed the wider Mediterranean in their strategic orientations with the New Strategic Concept of the Alliance and the Strategic Compass of the EU”.
“Italy, through the synergy created with the current government in the CIPOM, is dealing in a dedicated manner with the 'Sea resource', strengthening its role within the international context” Perego continues in his speech “The Armed Forces and the interested parties have always provided constant support in terms of security and defense of our sea, but the current geo-strategic situation has changed and is more complex, a scenario where unmanned vehicles and the artificial intelligence, this is why the Sea Plan was born, a political tool, shared by all, for the coordination of a unitary national maritime strategy".
In conclusion, the undersecretary stated “Defense and security of the 'Sea Resource' must also imply the diffusion of the culture of defence, in particular maritime defence, the recovery and valorisation of our ancient maritime traditions, the emphasis on communication and the promotion of strategic thinking, respect of the skills and professionalism of those who have always 'gone to sea' and of those who live on the sea and for the sea. A transformation which, to be effective, must rest on a solid cultural basis, on the participation of those most closely interested and of all Italian citizens".
