Italian consulate services critical to trade ties between SA and Italy, says Marco Fedi

Italian consulate services critical to trade ties between SA and Italy, says Marco Fedi

• by:Giuseppe Tauriello
• From:The Advertiser
• September 02, 20139:37AM

SAVING the Italian consulate in Adelaide is critical to preserving trade and economic ties between South Australia and Italy, according to the political representative of Italians living abroad.
Marco Fedi - the Melbourne-based Italian parliamentarian who represents voters across Asia, Africa, Oceania and Antarctica - met with Adelaide's Italian community over the weekend to discuss the planned consulate closure announced in July.
He is leading a campaign to save 14 consulates that have been earmarked for closure in March.
"We are arguing that the consulate is important in Adelaide and Brisbane with a consul as well - a diplomatic posting because South Australia and Queensland are two important states," he said.
"The bilateral relations with South Australia, the opportunities for investments in Australia and Australian companies that can invest in Italy - all of that can be properly organised if we have a consulate."
"If we can't achieve that the minium they can do is make sure the services are available to Italians who live in Adelaide, but also to companies that come here to invest and tourists that come here on holiday."
Mr Fedi blamed bureaucrats in Rome for the cost-cutting measure and questioned whether the closures would result in the expected economic savings.
"Basically foreign affairs is now facing a situation where they have to make internal decisions and they're sacrificing services and the consulate network to keep their own salary packages," he said.
"When they say that this decision was made because of the spending review process they're lying because the spending review process indicated the areas where cuts had to be paid and they didn't do that."
"If you close Adelaide they say Melbourne will take responsibility and they also say Melbourne has to have the capacity to respond. That will mean additional staff in Melbourne where they already don't have the capacity to service the Italian community in Melbourne - so really economically it doesn't make much sense."
The decision to close Italian consulates in Australia and across Europe follows a period of economic decline in the country, where 40 per cent of youth is unemployed.
Mr Fedi urged Australian companies to seek economic opportunities in Italy - particularly in food, agriculture, technology and innovation.
According to ABS figures, South Australian imports from Italy fell 7 per cent to $135 million in the year to June, while exports fell 39 per cent to just $23 million.
"Italy is still a good country where to invest so why don't Australian companies, that up until now were cashed up, invest in Italy?" he said.
"I'm not talking about big business, it's small-to-medium companies in Italy that produce innovation, good quality products, they're competitive but they have a problem with credit so why don't we find a solution - joint ventures and other opportunities for Australian companies."
Mr Fedi will meet with officials from Australia and Italy in Canberra on Thursday for further talks on the future of the Adelaide and Brisbane consulates.