The meeting with Ambassador Cornado focused on relations between Italy and Switzerland, confirming the climate of cooperation between the two countries, in various heterogeneous ways.
One year mandate for Ambassador Cornado
Gian Lorenzo Cornado has been Ambassador of Italy to Switzerland for just over a year, but he already has an intense diplomatic career behind him: from 2018 to 2023 he was Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in Geneva.
The meeting in Lugano represents an important moment of continuity in Italian-Swiss relations, characterized by intense and fruitful relationships, especially in border regions such as Ticino.
Relations between Lugano and Italy: a bond between cousins
In his welcome speech, Mayor Foletti underlined the historical and privileged relationship that binds Lugano and Ticino to Italy and in particular to Lombardy. “The relations between our countries – said Foletti – are supported by a common cultural and linguistic experience. This favors social, cultural and economic exchanges of great importance, especially considering the significant number of Italian citizens who live in Lugano. The Italian community is the largest among the foreign ones, representing 24,6% of the total population with 16.799 residents”.
This figure is up from the previous year, with an increase of 2,6%, reflecting the city's continued attractiveness for Italian citizens.
Cross-border mobility and cultural exchanges
During the meeting, very current issues were discussed such as international and cross-border mobility, Together with cultural cooperation between the two countries. Foletti underlined the importance of Lugano as a platform for trade exchange and economic dialogue, emphasizing the role of the city in promoting shared management of issues of common interest. Example: the conference A sea of Switzerland of last October 11, dedicated to European logistics and infrastructure. At that meeting, the need to strengthen institutional collaboration was discussed to complete key projects, such as the completion of the AlpTransit section south of Lugano and the improvement of connections between the Ligurian port system and the main Alpine arteries.
Culture and Innovation: Bridges between Italy and Switzerland
From a cultural point of view, the relationship between Switzerland and Italy is equally lively. Foletti recalled how the collaboration with the Swiss Institute in Rome and Milan allows the rich cultural offering of Lugano to be exported beyond the borders.
Ambassador Cornado, for his part, expressed gratitude for the welcome and defined Lugano the pearl of Switzerland, “a city of modernity and safety, which allows many Italian residents to experience a real sense of belonging”.
Cornado then underlined the quality of relations between Italy and Switzerland, enriched by the recent signing of agreements in crucial areas such as the taxation of cross-border workers, cross-border cabotage and teleworking.
The Ambassador also announced that The Italy-Switzerland Dialogue Forum, dedicated to Ticino, will be held in Rome on November 28th and topics related to innovation. Here, the opportunities for collaboration between the two countries will be explored in depth, with a particular focus on existing synergies and future projects.
