Belt and Road Initiative discussions will be prominent on diplomatic agenda

Italy's Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, says President Xi Jinping's state visit to his country will play a very important role in promoting bilateral relations.

Xi arrived in Rome on Thursday, at the invitation of Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

"It has been 10 years since the last visit to Italy by a Chinese president, so we are looking forward to the visit with great enthusiasm and sincerity," Conte told members of China's media during a group interview in his office on Wednesday afternoon.

He said Italy views China as a partner, and explained that, as a European nation, Italy is also a promoter of the China-European Union partnership, and a contributor to such shared interests as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris climate accord.

The 54-year-old, who took office in May after spending much of his career as a law professor, said Italy wants to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative because, to Italy, the BRI region naturally ends in Italy.

"Participation in the BRI, while probably surprising to some people, is expected to provide us with the possibility of expanding our trade relations, and our companies with the chance to participate as well," Conte said in an interview conducted in Italian.

And he confirmed his planned attendance at the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which will be held in Beijing next month. Mattarella, the nation's president, attended the inaugural forum in Beijing, back in May 2017.

Conte said close cooperation between Italy and China will, first and foremost, benefit the two countries themselves.

For China, he said, Italy could be a natural geographic location for BRI infrastructure. And for Italy, he said the reasons to participate in the initiative include the boost to Italian exports to China that the infrastructure projects will bring. Italian companies and the whole economy will benefit, he added.

Conte, who is sometimes known for his contentious relations with senior EU officials in Brussels, said the BRI will also benefit the bloc, and he noted that a memorandum of understanding about the BRI that is expected to be inked between Italy and China would embrace European strategic goals, principles, and standards.

His words were clearly directed at some United States and EU leaders who have expressed concerns about Italy's expected endorsement of the BRI, which would make it the first G7 nation to do so.

The Italian prime minister said he believes third countries will also benefit from such close cooperation between China and Italy because they would be more able to tackle global challenges.

"Without effective multilateralism, it's impossible to tackle today's global challenges alone, so Italy will always remain open and maintain dialogue," Conte said. He added that Italy, which is located at the center of the Mediterranean region, has the advantage of being a gateway linkingAsia and Africa, and is a place that promotes dialogue between all cultures.

He added that the two countries have witnessed frequent high-level visits during the past year, including a high-profile Italian delegation to the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai last November. He described such visits as "proof of the diverse and effective mechanism for cooperation between the two countries".

And Conte said he is also happy that Xi plans to visit Palermo, the capital of Sicily, a city Conte described as "beautiful" and "at the crossroads of East/West cultures". He said the visit to the island was like"a tribute to President Mattarella", who was born in Palermo.

Conte added that Italy has much to learn from China's economic development and rapid growth and noted that Italy could offer tips to China as well, about such things as its experiences in emphasizing quality of life and sustainable development.

"In this regard, Italy and China can learn from each other to improve our respective growth and development," he said.