The Ceremony of presentation of the Credential Letters of nine new Ambassadors accredited to the Republic of San Marino was held this morning, at the Government Building, in front of Their Excellencies the Captains Regent Alessandro Scarano and Adele Tonnini.

Considering the large number of High Plenipotentiaries, the ceremony was held for the first time in the Great and General Council Hall in the presence of all new Ambassadors to whom the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luca Beccari, addressed a speech.

The Credential Letters were presented to Their Excellencies the Captains Regent by: H.E. Ricardo Javier Varela Fernández, Ambassador of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, H.E. Bassam Essam Rady, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Nathaniel Imperial, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines, H.E. Naser Mohamed Al Balooshi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain, H.E. Kais Abu Dayyeh, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, H.E. Matjaž Longar, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, H.E. Rashad Aslanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Ennio Augusto Vivaldi Véjar, Ambassador of Chile, and H.E. Ligia Margarita Quessep Bitar, Ambassador of Colombia.

The Minister highlighted the fruitful relations existing with the countries today represented at the highest diplomatic level and hoped for their progressive strengthening in the areas of respective interest and in the light of the global challenges to which all these countries are commonly committed at the multilateral level. At the end of the Ceremony, the new Ambassadors signed the Book of Illustrious Guests.

Yesterday, Minister Beccari had bilateral meetings with each new Ambassador, proposing to further strengthen and give an additional boost to such relations in order to promote more intensive cooperation bilaterally and within international bodies.

With the Ambassador of Uruguay, Beccari emphasized the willingness to intensify relations with South America and in particular Uruguay, by proposing the organisation of business forums for the presentation of the economic systems and for trade opportunities between the two States.

With the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the talks focused on the challenges common to countries bordering the Mediterranean and the intention to strengthen collaboration in the economic sphere in consideration of the diversification of activities in the Republic, as well as a progressive focus on a greater development of tourism.

A friendly conversation based on the existing excellent relations took place between Minister Beccari and the Ambassador of the Philippines; there are many ongoing collaborations that can gain further momentum also because of the respective roles the two countries play within the European Union as third states. Focus was also given to the willingness to strengthen the fruitful cooperation in the field of adoption, which has proven to be excellent for many San Marino families.

In his meeting with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Minister Beccari discussed economic issues in consideration of the Middle Eastern country's sensitive openness and its numerous free trade agreements. Also visits to the respective countries were envisaged to jointly address the dynamics related to investment attraction opportunities, including through the creation of a special Joint Committee.

In the relations with Jordan, Beccari stressed the opportunity to strengthen them in the economic-financial and tourism fields, including through the negotiation of special agreements. In this regard, the Minister expressed his interest in inviting Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to San Marino.

A fruitful and constructive discussion took place with the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, in the light of the many similarities that exist bilaterally and multilaterally. Beccari outlined the current stage of the ongoing negotiations with the European Union and hoped for the continued endorsement of Slovenia, which can rely on San Marino’s support to Slovenian candidacies in the multilateral arena. Collaboration within EUSAIR and with respect to European projects is also very active. The Minister and the Ambassador expressed the desire to sign the Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening political consultations as soon as possible.

With the Azerbaijani Ambassador, Minister Beccari confirmed the excellent cooperation and the willingness to open up in areas where Azerbaijan is particularly active, such as the energy and mineral resources sectors. The Minister and the Ambassador also expressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation in the cultural and educational spheres, including by bringing their respective universities closer together.

Beccari, in the meeting with the Chilean Ambassador, envisioned the strengthening of several areas of common interest, including the energy sector with particular reference to renewable energy and environmental sustainability. Chile is advancing in satellite technology and innovation and can offer such know-how to San Marino. Reference was also made to the fifteen-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two States, which can be further enhanced through a better understanding of the traditions and of the historical and strategic specificities of the South American country.

With the Ambassador of Colombia, new plans for the development of relations were outlined, starting from exchange and training opportunities for respective students and artistic and cultural initiatives, with possible participation of San Marino in international events in the fields of tourism and culture. The Minister and the Ambassador also expressed the intention to explore the issue of inter-country adoption, for which both countries are adequately structured.

San Marino, 2 August 2023