Iranian/Italian Relations

Can Italy and Iran work together?



Italy is Iran's #1 European trading partner. Economic sanctions would most certainly hurt Italy most in the EU. Perhaps that is why Italy has said that Iran's bid for nuclear energy is "legitimate".



However, today Foreign Minister D'Alema has stated that the possibility of Iran "acquiring is unacceptable for the international community." However, is it acceptable for Italy?



However, Italian oil power Eni is investing more in Iran even with escalating talks of sanctions. The company probably knows something that the outside doesn't. Italy is too weak to make any drastic economic moves as it continues to struggle with it's own economic hardships. Italy will be relying on other nations to make the bold moves.



A new development from the G8 summit is that they are warning Iran to stop uranium enrichment. The G8 "will support adopting further measures, should Iran refuse to comply with its obligations". This probably is the driving force for D'Alema's latest statement.

Croatian/Italian Relations Update

Tomorrow a conference will convene in Osijek to discuss more investing of Italy in the Slavonia region of Croatia. Slavonia is one of the hardest regions struck in the war with the Serbs.

It appears that easing of trade barriers may have influenced the sudden change in the Italian governments demeanor. In the end, money drives politics.

Italy already holds the majority stake in Croatian import partners at 16% and may likely try to make Croatia more dependant as EU entrance may make the nation a free-for-all.

Croatia is likely needing more economic spurring as it holds 17% unemployment and continues to see a growing trade deficit and driven primarily by who else but Italy.

Croatian/Italian Relations Revisited

It appears that Croatian/Italian relations have improved as of late with multiple indicators. Recently, relations were strained as Italians revisited grievances of WWII. Economic trade has been applauded on both sides, Prodi has defended Croatian EU acceptance, and Napolitano and Mesic have publically just declared that the WWII past is behind them and prior treaties still hold.

Why the sudden change? Was this a negotiation tactic for something greater? Did the Italians see their concessions as inevitable as the post WWII treaty already addressed the compensation of the war? Did the Italians win something more?

The regional summit meeting that just occured in Czech Republic may have had unsaid additional items that we may come to find out sooner than later. In the meantime, this brings good news to Croatian EU membership supporters.