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The foreign relations of the Italian Republic are the Italian government's external relations with the outside world. Located in Europe, Italy has been considered a major Western power since its unification in 1860.[1] Its main allies are the NATO countries and the EU states, two entities of which Italy is a founding member. Italy was admitted to the United Nations in 1955, and it is a member and a strong supporter of a wide number of international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and World Trade Organization (GATT and WTO), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe, and the Central European Initiative.
Its turns in the rotating presidency of international organisations include the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the G7 and the EU Council. Italy is also a recurrent non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Italy is an important actor in the Mediterranean region and has close relations with the Romance-speaking countries in Europe and Latin America. Although it is a secular state,[2] Rome hosts the Pope and the headquarters of the Catholic Church, which operates a large diplomatic system of its own. Italy is currently commanding various multinational forces and has significant troops deployed all over the world for peacekeeping missions, and for combating organized crime, illegal drug trade, human trafficking, piracy and terrorism.[3]
See also: Unification of Italy and Kingdom of Italy |
The Risorgimento was the era from 1829 to 1871 that saw the emergence of a national consciousness. The Northern Italy monarchy of the House of Savoy in the Kingdom of Sardinia, whose government was led by Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, had ambitions of establishing a united Italian state. In the context of the 1848 liberal revolutions that swept through Europe, an unsuccessful first war of independence was declared on Austria. In 1855, the Kingdom of Sardinia became an ally of Britain and France in the Crimean War, giving Cavour's diplomacy legitimacy in the eyes of the great powers.[4][5] The Kingdom of Sardinia again attacked the Austrian Empire in the Second Italian War of Independence of 1859, with the aid of France, resulting in liberating Lombardy. On the basis of the Plombières Agreement, the Kingdom of Sardinia ceded Savoy and Nice to France, an event that caused the Niçard exodus, that was the emigration of a quarter of the Niçard Italians to Italy,[6] and the Niçard Vespers.
In 1860–1861, Giuseppe Garibaldi led the drive for unification in Naples and Sicily conquering the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (the Expedition of the Thousand),[7] while the House of Savoy troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. This allowed the Sardinian government to declare a united Italian kingdom on 17 March 1861.[8] In 1866, Italy allied with Prussia during the Austro-Prussian War, waging the Third Italian War of Independence which allowed Italy to annexe Venetia. Finally, in 1870, as France abandoned its garrisons in Rome during the disastrous Franco-Prussian War to keep the large Prussian Army at bay, the Italians rushed to fill the power gap by taking over the Papal States. Italian unification was completed and shortly afterwards Italy's capital was moved to Rome. Later Italy formed the Triple Alliance (1882) with Germany and Austria.
See also: Italian entry into World War I and Italian Empire |
Italy defeated the Ottoman Empire in 1911–1912.[9] By 1915, Italy had acquired in Africa a colony on the Red Sea coast (Eritrea), a large protectorate in Somalia and administrative authority in formerly Turkish Libya. Outside of Africa, Italy possessed a small concession in Tientsin in China (following the Boxer Rebellion) and the Dodecanese Islands off the coast of Turkey.
Austria took the offensive against the terms of the alliance and Italy decided to take part in World War I as a principal allied power with France and Great Britain. Two leaders, Prime Minister Antonio Salandra and Foreign Minister Sidney Sonnino made the decisions; their primary motivation was seizure of territory from Austria, as secretly promised by Britain and France in the Treaty of London of 1915. Also, Italy occupied southern Albania and established a protectorate over Albania, which remained in place until 1920.[10]
The Allies defeated the Austrian Empire in 1918 and Italy became one of the main winners of the war. At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, Prime Minister Vittorio Emanuele Orlando focused almost exclusively on territorial gains, but he got far less than he wanted, and Italians were bitterly resentful when they were denied control of the city of Fiume. The conference, under the control of Britain, France and the United States refused to assign Dalmatia and Albania to Italy as had been promised in the Treaty of London. Britain, France and Japan divided the German overseas colonies into mandates of their own, excluding Italy. Italy also gained no territory from the breakup of the Ottoman Empire.
Italy did not receive other territories promised by the Treaty of London, so this outcome was denounced as a Mutilated victory. The rhetoric of Mutilated victory was adopted by Benito Mussolini and led to the rise of Italian fascism, becoming a key point in the propaganda of Fascist Italy. Historians regard Mutilated victory as a "political myth", used by fascists to fuel Italian imperialism and obscure the successes of liberal Italy in the aftermath of World War I.[11] Italy also gained a permanent seat in the League of Nations's executive council.
See also: Fascist Italy (1922–1943) and Italian Civil War |
The Fascist government that came to power with Benito Mussolini in 1922 sought to increase the size of the Italian empire and to satisfy the claims of Italian irredentists. Italian Fascism is based upon Italian nationalism and imperialism, and in particular seeks to complete what it considers as the incomplete project of the unification of Italy by incorporating Italia Irredenta (unredeemed Italy) into the state of Italy.[12][13] To the east of Italy, the Fascists claimed that Dalmatia was a land of Italian culture whose Italians, including those of Italianized South Slavic descent, had been driven out of Dalmatia and into exile in Italy, and supported the return of Italians of Dalmatian heritage.[14] Mussolini identified Dalmatia as having strong Italian cultural roots for centuries, similarly to Istria, via the Roman Empire and the Republic of Venice.[15] To the south of Italy, the Fascists claimed Malta, which belonged to the United Kingdom, and Corfu, which instead belonged to Greece; to the north claimed Italian Switzerland, while to the west claimed Corsica, Nice, and Savoy, which belonged to France.[16][17] The Fascist regime produced literature on Corsica that presented evidence of the island's italianità.[18] The Fascist regime produced literature on Nice that justified that Nice was an Italian land based on historic, ethnic, and linguistic grounds.[18]
Mussolini promised to bring Italy back as a great power in Europe, building a "New Roman Empire"[19] and holding power over the Mediterranean Sea. In propaganda, Fascists used the ancient Roman motto "Mare Nostrum" (Latin for "Our Sea") to describe the Mediterranean. For this reason the Fascist regime engaged in interventionist foreign policy. In 1923, the Greek island of Corfu was briefly occupied by Italy, after the assassination of General Tellini in Greek territory. In 1925, Italy forced Albania to become a de facto protectorate. In 1935, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia and founded Italian East Africa, resulting in an international alienation and leading to Italy's withdrawal from the League of Nations; Italy allied with Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan and strongly supported Francisco Franco in the Spanish civil war. In 1939, Italy formally annexed Albania. Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940. The Italians initially advanced in British Somaliland, Egypt, the Balkans (establishing the Governorate of Dalmatia and Montenegro, the Province of Ljubljana, and the puppet states Independent State of Croatia and Hellenic State), and eastern fronts. They were, however, subsequently defeated on the Eastern Front as well as in the East African campaign and the North African campaign, losing as a result their territories in Africa and in the Balkans.
An Allied invasion of Sicily began in July 1943, leading to the collapse of the Fascist regime and the fall of Mussolini on 25 July. In the north, the Germans set up the Italian Social Republic (RSI), a Nazi puppet state with Mussolini installed as leader after he was rescued by German paratroopers. Some Italian troops in the south were organised into the Italian Co-belligerent Army, which fought alongside the Allies for the rest of the war, while other Italian troops, loyal to Mussolini and his RSI, continued to fight alongside the Germans in the National Republican Army. Also, the post-armistice period saw the rise of a large anti-fascist resistance movement, the Resistenza.[20] As result, the country descended into civil war;[21][22] the Italian resistance fought a guerrilla war against the Nazi German occupiers and Italian Fascist forces,[20] while clashes between the Fascist RSI Army and the Royalist Italian Co-Belligerent Army were rare.[23] In late April 1945, with total defeat looming, Mussolini attempted to escape north,[24] but was captured and summarily executed near Lake Como by Italian partisans. His body was then taken to Milan, where it was hung upside down at a service station for public viewing and to provide confirmation of his demise.[25] Hostilities ended on 29 April 1945, when the German forces in Italy surrendered.
See also: History of the Italian Republic |
Italy became a republic after the 1946 Italian institutional referendum[26] held on 2 June 1946, a day celebrated since as Festa della Repubblica. This was the first time that Italian women voted at the national level, and the second time overall considering the local elections that were held a few months earlier in some cities.[27][28] Under the Treaty of Peace with Italy, 1947, Istria, Kvarner, most of the Julian March as well as the Dalmatian city of Zara was annexed by Yugoslavia causing the Istrian-Dalmatian exodus, which led to the emigration of between 230,000 and 350,000 of local ethnic Italians (Istrian Italians and Dalmatian Italians), the others being ethnic Slovenians, ethnic Croatians, and ethnic Istro-Romanians, choosing to maintain Italian citizenship.[29] Later, the Free Territory of Trieste was divided between the two states. Italy also lost all of its colonial possessions, formally ending the Italian Empire. In 1950, Italian Somaliland was made a United Nations Trust Territory under Italian administration until 1 July 1960. The Italian border that applies today has existed since 1975, when Trieste was formally re-annexed to Italy.
in 1949 Italy became a member of NATO. The Marshall Plan helped to revive the Italian economy which, until the late 1960s, enjoyed a period of sustained economic growth commonly called the "Economic Miracle". In the 1950's, Italy became one of the six founding countries of the European Communities, following the 1952 establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community, and subsequent 1958 creations of the European Economic Community and European Atomic Energy Community. In 1993, the former two of these were incorporated into the European Union.
Country | Beginning of formal relations
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See Algeria–Italy relations
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4 June 1976 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 June 1976[30] |
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30 November 1961 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 November 1961 when first ambassador of Italy to Dahomey Mr. Renzo Luigi Romanelli presented his credentials to President Hubert Maga[31] |
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16 June 1962 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 June 1962 when Mr. Renzo Luigi Romanelli , the first Italian Ambassador to Upper Volta , has presented his letters of credence to President Maurice Yameogo.[32] |
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28 February 1962 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 February 1962[35] |
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18 November 1976 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 November 1976[36] |
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June 1964 | Both countries established diplomatic relations in June 1964 when the Central African Republic's Ministerial Council accepted the appointment of Francesco Paolo Campanella as Italian Ambassador.[37] |
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13 February 1964 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 13 February 1964 wnen the first Italian ambassador to Chad , Mr. Francesco Paolo Campanella , presented his credentials to the President[38] |
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1 November 1976 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 November 1976[39] |
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21 July 1960 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 July 1960 when accredited first Ambassador of Italy to Congo (Leopoldville) Mr. Pietro Franca[43]
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20 April 1965 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 April 1965[45] |
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18 June 1961 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 June 1961[46] |
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See Egypt–Italy relations
Relations between both countries were established during the period of the Roman Empire. However, in World War II, relations were strained as Italy invaded Egypt. However, after the war, relations were re-established and are close. Egypt has representations in Rome and Milan, while Italy has representations in Cairo and Alexandria, also the two nations are members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Relations deteriorated after the abduction and killing of Italian student Giulio Regeni. Egypt has been accused by Italian authorities and public opinion of lacking of transparence.
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See Eritrea–Italy relations
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See Ethiopia–Italy relations
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26 November 1963 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 November 1963[47] |
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1963 | See Italy–Kenya relations |
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1947 | See Italy–Libya relations
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20 September 1966 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 September 1966 when has been accredited first Charge d'Affaires a.i. of Italy to Malawi Dr. Almando Albrini.[48] |
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27 April 1962 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 April 1962 when first Ambassador of Mali to Italy (resident in Paris) Mr. Bokar N'Diaye presented his credentials to President Giovanni Gronchi.[49] |
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25 February 1963 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 February 1963 when first Ambassador of Mauritania to Italy (resident in Paris) Mr. Bakar Ould Ahmedou presented his credentials to President Antonio Segni.[50] |
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1 October 1956 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 October 1956[53] |
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23 September 1961 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 September 1961 when first Ambassador of Italy to Niger M. Renzo Luigi Romanelli , presented his credentials to President of Niger Diori Hamani.[54] |
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5 May 1965 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 May 1965 when Ambassador of Rwanda to Italy Mr. Emanuele Kaberuka presented his credentials to President Giuseppe Saragat.[55] |
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See Italy–Somalia relations
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1929 | See Italy–South Africa relations
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9 December 1961 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 December 1961 when open Embassy of Italy in Dar es Salaam with accredited Charge d'Affaires of Italy to Tanganyika Mr. Luciano Falco[59] |
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1957 | See Italy–Tunisia relations
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5 July 1964 |
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 July 1964[61] |
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1837 | See Argentina–Italy relations
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1 October 1982 |
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25 May 1864 |
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1861 | See Brazil–Italy relations
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1947 | See Canada–Italy relations
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1864 | See Chile–Italy relations
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1847 | See Colombia–Italy relations
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See Dominican Republic-Italy relations
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1967 |
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 April 1967.[89] |
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1874 | See Italy–Mexico relations
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1867 |
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23 December 1874 |
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11 April 1861 | See Italy–United States relations
The United States enjoys a peculiar and friendly relation with Italy, as the latter, defeated in WWII, has been a secret battlefield of the Cold War. Italy and the US are NATO allies and cooperate in the United Nations, in various regional organizations, and bilaterally. Italy has worked closely with the United States and with other nations on such issues as NATO and UN operations as well as with assistance to Russia and the New Independent States; the Middle East peace process; multilateral talks. Under longstanding bilateral agreements flowing from NATO membership, Italy hosts important U.S. military forces at Vicenza and Livorno (army); Aviano (air force); and Sigonella, Gaeta, and Naples- home port for the U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet. The United States still has about 16,000 military personnel stationed in Italy. The NATO War College is situated at Cecchignola, a neighborhood of Rome.
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1861 | See Italy–Uruguay relations
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1861 | See Italy–Venezuela relations
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~1919 | See Afghanistan–Italy relations
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See Armenia–Italy relations
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See Azerbaijan–Italy relations | |
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~1972 |
Relations between two countries have been wonderful. Bangladesh is a huge import market for Italy. Italy has an embassy in Dhaka. Bangladesh has an embassy in Rome. |
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1970 | See People's Republic of China – Italy relations
In 2005, Italy and the People's Republic of China have celebrated the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations. However, China's massive exports of textile and footwear into Italy are said to be a rising concern to Italy's economy and productivity.[107] |
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See Georgia–Italy relations
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1950 | See India–Italy relations
In 2012, relations deteriorated following the Enrica Lexie Case
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1952 | See Indonesia–Italy relations
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See Iran–Italy relations
Iran-Italy trade stood at $US 2.7 Billion in 2001[116] and 3.852 Billion Euros in 2003.[117] In 2005, Italy was the third largest trading partner of Iran with 7.5% of all exports to Iran.[118] Italy was the top trading partner of Iran in the European Union in early 2006.[119] Commercial exchanges hit 6 billion euros in 2008.[120] Although Italy harbors a large population of members of the MKO as do many European Union states, Italy officially considers the group a terrorist organization.[121] | |
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See Iraq–Italy relations
Iraq has an embassy in Rome and Italy has an embassy in Baghdad and a consulate-general in Basra. | |
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1948 | See Israel–Italy relations
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1 March 1867 | See Italy–Japan relations
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1992 | See Italy-Kazakhstan relations
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See Italy–Lebanon relations
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1966 | |
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See Italy–Malaysia relations
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4 January 2000[135] | See Italy–North Korea relations |
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26 January 1972 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 January 1972[136] |
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1947 | See Italy–Philippines relations
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See Italy–Qatar relations | |
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See Italy–Saudi Arabia relations | |
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26 June 1884[140] | See Italy–South Korea relations
The establishment of diplomatic relations between the kingdom of Italy and the kingdom of Korea began on 26 June 1884 and the Re establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Italian republic the Republic of Korea was on November 24, 1956.[141]
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18 April 1950 |
Italy and Sri Lanka maintain a strong relationship dated back from 1st century.[148] |
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1870 |
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1856 | See Italy–Turkey relations
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23 March 1973 | See Italy–Vietnam relations
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1912 | See Albania–Italy relations
The Kingdom of Italy supported Albanian Declaration of Independence in 1912.
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Italy is represented in Andorra through its embassy in Madrid (Spain) and an honorary consulate in Andorra La Vella. | |
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See Austria–Italy relations
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1879 | See Bulgaria–Italy relations
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17 January 1992 | See Croatia–Italy relations
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See Denmark–Italy relations
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See Finland–Italy relations
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See France–Italy relations
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See Germany–Italy relations
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1861 | See Greece–Italy relations
In modern times, both countries established diplomatic relations in 1861, immediately upon Italy's unification, and share a special relationship.
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See Holy See – Italy relations
Due to the size of the Vatican City State, embassies accredited to the Holy See are based on Italian territory. Treaties signed between Italy and the Vatican City State permit such embassages. The Embassy of Italy to the Holy See is unique amongst foreign embassages in that it is the only embassy based on its home territory. The Holy See maintains formal diplomatic relations with 176 sovereign states, the European Union, and the Order of Malta; 69 of the diplomatic missions accredited to the Holy See are situated in Rome, though those countries than have two embassies in the same city, since, by agreement between the Holy See and Italy, the same person cannot be accredited simultaneously to both. This is shown clearly by the fact that Italy recognizes the People's Republic of China, and as such, the Chinese Embassy is in Rome. However, the Vatican City State recognizes the Taiwan, and as such, Taiwan's embassy to the Holy See is also in Rome. As Italy was the first country to recognize the Holy See as a sovereign nation, their embassy was the first one established. | |
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See Italy–Kosovo relations
Italy recognized Kosovo on 21 February 2008.[185][186] Italy has an embassy in Pristina since 15 May 2008.[187] Kosovo will open an embassy in Rome.
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30 August 1991 |
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1902 |
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See Italy–Malta relations
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See Italy-Moldova relations
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See Italy-Monaco relations
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14 June 2006 |
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See Italy–Netherlands relations
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1991 |
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1919 | See Italy–Poland relations
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1860 | See Italy–Portugal relations |
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23 April 1873 | See Italy–Romania relations
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See Italy–Russia relations
Russia has an embassy in Rome and consulates in Genoa, Milan and Palermo, and Italy has an embassy in Moscow, a consulate in Saint Petersburg, two consulte generals (in Ekaterinburg and Kaliningrad), and two embassy branches in (Samara and Volgograd). Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Russia enjoys close relations with Italy. In 2006, Russia and Italy have signed a protocol of cooperation for fighting crime and defending civil liberties. There are close commercial ties between the two countries. Italy is Russia's second important commercial partner in the EU, after Germany. and its state-owned energy company, ENI, has recently signed a very important long-term contract with Gazprom, to import Russian gas into Italy. The relationship between Russia and Italy goes back a long way. Already in the 1960s, Italy's FIAT built a car-assembling plant in the Soviet city of Tolyatti (a city named after the Italian Communist Party's secretary Palmiro Togliatti). Russians have always visited Italy in great numbers. Many Russian students come to Italy each year to study in Italian universities.[206] The Silvio Berlusconi Government (2001–2006) strengthened Italy's ties with Russia, due to his personal friendship with President Vladimir Putin. Cooperation extends also to the aviation sector, between Italy's Alenia and Russia's Sukhoi, who are jointly developing a new aircraft. Finally, for a long time Italy had the largest communist party in the Western world, with over 2 million members. .[207] | |
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See Italy–San Marino relations
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1879 | See Italy–Serbia relations
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See Italy–Slovenia relations
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See Italy–Spain relations
Both countries established diplomatic relations after the unification of Italy. Relations between Italy Spain have remained strong and affable for centuries owing to various political, cultural, and historical connections between the two nations.
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See Italy–Sweden relations
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See Italy–Switzerland relations
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1992 | See Italy–Ukraine relations
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See Italy–United Kingdom relations
Although enemies during World War II, the United Kingdom and Italy have generally enjoyed a warm and friendly relationship throughout history. Both states embrace membership of the NATO, OSCE and the G7[214] Between 4 and 5 million British tourists visit Italy every year, while 1 million Italian tourists visit the UK.[215] There are about 30,000 British nationals living in Italy (see British in Italy), and 200,000 Italians living in the UK.[216]
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See Australia–Italy relations
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25 May 1987 |
Both countries established diplomatic relations on May 25, 1987.[223] |
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Italy is part of the UN, EU, NATO, the OECD, the OSCE, the DAC, the WTO, the G7, the G20, the Union for the Mediterranean, the Latin Union, the Council of Europe, the Central European Initiative, the ASEM, the MEF, the ISA, the Uniting for Consensus and several Contact Groups.