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Italy

Centeral European Time Zone UTC+01:00

 Capital City Rome

 Currency Euro

National Day  2 June

His Excellency Mr Raffaele Trombetta
Ambassador
Embassy of Italy
14 Three Kings Yard
Davies Street
London W1K 4EH
T: 020 7312 2200
F: 020 7312 2230
E: ambasciata.londra@esteri.it

ITALY’S NEW AMBASSADOR Raffaele Trombetta arrived in London with his wife Victoria at the end of January, joining their children who already lived in the UK. He admires the city’s “dynamism and unparalleled vibe,” which already characterised London when he was first here as Consul in the 1990s. “Now, however, it is truly global city,” he remarks, “and there is a marked international presence in the commercial and cultural spheres. Furthermore, the number of Italians living in the UK has greatly increased.”

After studying Political Science, he set his eyes on a career enabling him to “work at the heart of political decision-making and promote the interests of [his] country. Diplomacy fitted all these criteria.” His first role at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was in the Department dealing with Development Cooperation in 1985. He was then posted to Bogotá in 1987, where he mainly dealt with trade and commerce. In 1990, he was appointed as Consul in London for five years, and then became Chief of Staff for first the Director General for Economic Affairs, and then the MFA Secretary General in 1997.

Postings followed in Brussels as Counsellor (1998), China as Deputy Head of Mission (2002), and then back in Rome as Deputy Director General for Asia, Oceania, the Pacific and the Antarctic (2008). Ambassador Trombetta then served as Deputy Director General for the EU and Director General for Europe, before becoming Italy’s Ambassador to Brazil (2013-17), where cementing the strong commercial relationship between the two countries was at the heart of his agenda. “An important part of my mandate was promoting Italian business and entrepreneurship in Brazil, one of Italy’s highly relevant commercial partners. I also witnessed the huge effort Brazil undertook to prepare for and successfully host the 2014 Football World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.”

Before coming to the UK, he was “privileged to serve” as Chief of the Foreign Minister’s Cabinet, and successively as the Prime Minister’s Personal Representative and Sherpa for the G7 and the G20. In the former role, Ambassador Trombetta enjoyed “managing and coordinating the Foreign Office’s different diplomatic activities to support the Minister in promoting proficient relations with Italy’s international counterparts.” The latter role involved “exchanging ideas with the leaders of the world’s most advanced economies. He notes: “I was humbled to represent my country at one of the world’s most important summits [G7] and, as of today, it remains one of the most memorable achievements of my career.” These experiences provided him “with first-hand appreciation of the global links that connect the world’s most advanced economies, and the common challenges that need to be addressed, like climate change, counterterrorism, security, etc. Although globalisation entails countless benefits, it also results in drawbacks, like growing levels of financial inequality, which must be addressed.” Today, Ambassador Trombetta draws from this experience “to better support Italian citizens and businesses operating in Great Britain as Brexit unfolds.”

As Ambassador in the UK, he says “protecting the rights of 600,000-plus Italians residing in Great Britain is at the top of [his] agenda as the Article 50 transition period draws to a close.” He continues “Brexit will undoubtedly herald important changes in relations between London and Brussels, but I will endeavour to ensure the rights of Italian citizens living in London and elsewhere in the UK remain the same as they were before the 23 June 2016. Furthermore, improving the Embassy and the Consulate’s services is also a key priority that will shape my mandate. It is fundamental that our offices remain a crucial reference point for all my fellow nationals. Of course, I will continue to highlight Italy’s strengths and assets to the thousands of international investors in the City.”

What does he think is Italy’s greatest diplomatic challenge? “The diplomatic challenges entailed by Brexit are numerous, especially with regards to citizens’ rights and ensuring that Italian businesses in the UK preserve the closest possible relationship with the European Single Market. Nevertheless, as a new era of Anglo-European relations dawns, I also see a plethora of opportunities to further solidify and renew commercial ties between Italy and the UK to ensure our already proficient economic partnership continues to flourish in the future.”

In the little downtime he has while in the UK, Ambassador Trombetta enjoys motorcycling and admits to being “a football aficionado,” supporting his home team, Naples. “I’ve also been happy to join the Embassy’s team in London and am looking forward to our match against the FCO.”

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