{"id":74398,"date":"2025-09-19T04:39:51","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T04:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itasean.org\/?p=74398"},"modified":"2025-09-19T04:39:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T04:39:55","slug":"indo-pacifico-per-litalia-significa-soprattutto-asean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itasean.org\/en\/indo-pacifico-per-litalia-significa-soprattutto-asean\/","title":{"rendered":"Indo-Pacific? For Italy it Mainly Means ASEAN"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><em>The most distinctive feature of Italy\u2019s approach to the Indo-Pacific lies in the depth with which it seeks to expand relations with Southeast Asian countries: almost a unicum in Europe<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>By Emanuele Ballestracci<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>When, in 2008, the Obama administration inaugurated a new era of American foreign policy with the now famous \u201cPivot to Asia,\u201d few would have imagined that little more than a decade later Europe would also partially follow in its footsteps. The Indo-Pacific region \u2014 whose precise geographical boundaries vary depending on the parameters adopted by each actor \u2014 is increasingly at the center of the European Union\u2019s and its member states\u2019 strategic interests. Since 2018, the year France published its Indo-Pacific strategy, these interests have taken shape in policy documents drafted by European governments. The Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania \u2014 as well as the EU itself \u2014 have all followed France\u2019s example. Italy, however, still lacks an official strategy, though parliamentary work to define one began in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although it does not yet have a fully codified framework and lacks the resources of powers with a stable presence such as the United Kingdom and France, Italy\u2019s commitment to the Indo-Pacific has nevertheless helped position Rome as a credible partner for regional actors. For more than fifteen years, Italy has deepened its ties with the region through a multidimensional and consistent approach, despite the proverbial discontinuity of its governments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\" translation-block\">A turning point in Italy\u2019s Indo-Pacific trajectory came in 2007, when Rome joined the Pacific Islands Forum as a Dialogue Partner \u2014 after France and the United Kingdom, but before Germany and Spain. Since then, Italy has expanded a network of strategic partnerships with its traditional regional allies: with South Korea in 2018, and with India and Japan in 2023, followed in 2024 by Joint Strategic Action Plans with New Delhi and Tokyo. In 2019 it also joined the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as a Dialogue Partner, one of only three European countries to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\" translation-block\">On the defense front, industrial and military cooperation have emerged as crucial areas, particularly with the launch in 2022 of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a trilateral partnership with the United Kingdom and Japan to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet. Over the past decade, the Italian Navy has also carried out regular missions in the area: the frigate Carabiniere in 2017, ITS Morosini in 2023, ITS Montecuccoli and F-35As in Japan in 2024, and ITS Antonio Marceglia in 2025. Italy also took part in Operation AGENOR \u2014 the European maritime security initiative in the Strait of Hormuz \u2014 from July 2022 to January 2023, assuming command and contributing two frigates and air assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\" translation-block\">The most significant peculiarity of Italy\u2019s approach, however, lies in the depth with which Rome has extended its relations with Southeast Asian countries \u2014 almost a unicum compared with the orientations of other European countries such as the Netherlands and Germany. These latter tend to emphasize cooperation with \u201clike-minded partners\u201d \u2014 the United States, Japan, South Korea, India, and Australia \u2014 to strengthen their regional presence, while the United Kingdom relies heavily on minilateral forums that exclude ASEAN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\" translation-block\">Italy, instead, has significantly reinforced its engagement with Southeast Asia, launching collaborations and consolidating partnerships on multiple levels. Memoranda of Understanding of an economic nature have been signed with Indonesia and Thailand, while in 2020 Rome became an ASEAN Development Partner. Italian companies have also worked with Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand in supplying machinery and industrial equipment for manufacturing modernization, and have developed projects with the Philippines and Malaysia in renewable energy and climate transition. ASEAN was also identified as a strategic priority in the \u201cAction Plan for Italian Exports to High-Potential Extra-EU Markets\u201d presented in June 2025, with Italian exports reaching \u20ac10.7 billion in 2024 \u2014 a 10.3% increase over the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\" translation-block\">In this context, the strengthening of ties with Malaysia is emblematic: the visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Rome in July 2025, culminating in a summit with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, marked the evolution of relations with Putrajaya into a strategic partnership. Italy-Malaysia relations have consolidated across all levels, thanks also to contributions from the private sector and Italian giants such as Leonardo, Fincantieri, and Eni. Relations with Indonesia have also grown significantly: in 2024 the country became the main importer of Italian armaments, with acquisitions worth \u20ac1.25 billion and a historic contract with Fincantieri and Leonardo for two multipurpose patrol vessels. Rumors have also circulated about possible new agreements, including the sale of the aircraft carrier Garibaldi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Deepening relations with ASEAN countries thus constitutes a cornerstone of Italy\u2019s renewed interest in the Indo-Pacific. Alongside cooperation with traditional partners, Rome has in fact significantly strengthened its ties with Southeast Asian capitals on diplomatic, economic, and defense levels. This approach differs from that of other European actors, even though both the EU and ASEAN are united in their support for principles such as multilateralism and the centrality of international law.&nbsp;<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>La particolarit\u00e0 pi\u00f9 significativa dell\u2019approccio italiano all\u2019Indo-Pacifico risiede nella profondit\u00e0 con cui si punta a estendere le relazioni coi Paesi del Sud-Est Asiatico: quasi un unicum in Europa Di Emanuele Ballestracci Quando nel 2008 l\u2019amministrazione Obama inaugur\u00f2 una nuova era della politica estera americana con l\u2019ormai celebre formula del \u201cPivot to Asia\u201d, pochi avrebbero immaginato<a class=\"btn btn-primary more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.itasean.org\/en\/indo-pacifico-per-litalia-significa-soprattutto-asean\/\">Continue reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":74407,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":[],"_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":0,"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":""},"categories":[92,729],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Indo-Pacifico? 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