The long-awaited opening of Italy's new Italian Consulate General in Brussels, which is being inaugurated by foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Tuesday, "continues to strengthen the presence of its embassies and consulates around the world," Tajani said in a statement.
“With the opening of the Consulate General in Brussels, Italy continues to strengthen the presence of its Embassies and Consulates around the world," said Tajani.
The government "must be ever closer to our Italian nationals abroad, starting with a country like Belgium, where one of our most highly qualified communities resides," Tajani went on.
A "major community" of 120,000 Italian nationals live in the Brussels and Flanders region including "members of the historic and deeply rooted Italian community" and newly arrived workers, he said, noting that Brussels "has become the capital of Europe.”
The new Consulate General offers citizens a dedicated helpdesk to give them better access to key administrative and consular services, as part of a government drive to improve efficiency and extend digitalisation, the statement said.
Until now there has only been a "consular chancellery” in Brussels connected to the embassy, the statement noted.
Italy's ambassador to Belgium Federica Favi, newly appointed Consul General in Brussels, Francesco Varriale, Euro MPs, members of the Italian and foreign diplomatic corps, Italian officials and military personnel at Euro-Atlantic institutions, and representatives of the Italian community are also attending ceremony at the Italian Cultural Institute's theatre.
The unveiling of the Consulate General’s shield will take place after a concert by the Italian tax police (Guardia di Finanza) band, a permanent photo exhibition will also be inaugurated and a project to restore the historic building will be unveiled, the statement concluded.
