On Wednesday morning, the Honorable Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Italy, received the GEI (Gruppo Esponenti Italiani) Award at the New York Stock Exchange, the first GEI Award after the Covid pandemic. 12 Italian global companies representing a good portion of the Italian economy were part of the welcoming committee at the podium, endorsing the Hon. Tajani’s commitment to the Transatlantic relationship both to defend Ukraine’s quest for peace within its recognized borders and to foster economic growth, trade and a strong bilateral direct investment flow between Italy and the United States.
The minister was clear in establishing that a peace process can start between Russia and Ukraine once Ukraine borders and security will be restored to their original position, he claimed that for Russia to even threaten the use of nuclear weapons “is a criminal act” and he reassured the American public present at the New York Stock Exchange about his government’s commitment to the defense of Ukraine independently of certain provocative statements against President Zelensky by former Prime Minister and his party leader, Silvio Berlusconi: “The government has always voted in one direction” he said, “and I can assure you that Berlusconi is a supporter of Ukraine’s quest for peace and freedom from Russia”.
While delivering the GEI Award, Mario Calvo-Platero, the GEI chairman spoke about his board’s choice of Tajani as recipient of the award: “for your staunch loyalty to the Transatlantic relationship and Alliance, your leadership in fostering the Italian government’s commitment to defend the Ukrainian quest for freedom, your dedication to Europe and your service as a member of the European Parliament, as EU Commissioner and President of the European Parliament, we the board of GEI, Gruppo Esponenti Italiani, have voted unanimously to recognize you as the recipient of the 2023 GEI Award”. Later Calvo-Platero added, “needless to say, how important it is from a symbolic viewpoint that this award is being delivered here, at the New York Stock Exchange, the epitome of transparency, merit and free flow of capital. Values that are under attack at this critical juncture of international relations, when an aggression has been perpetrated not only against a country, Ukraine, but against the system of Western Market Democracies, based fundamentally on the respect of freedom rights, fair competition, free elections and the rule of law.”
The award ceremony took place in the beautiful NYSE Board Room with a full Italian delegation, attending, the Ambassador to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, the Ambassador to the United Nation, Maurizio Massari, the New York Consul General, Fabrizio Di Michele, and an audience of Italian and American businessmen.
The welcoming committee: Simone Bemporad, Assicurazioni Generali; Mariafrancesca Carli, BDT& Company; Carlo Tunioli, Edizione SPA; Enrico Viale, Enel North America; Marco Margheri, ENI; Matteo Torre, Ferrari North America/Exor; Marco Galbiati, Fincantieri Marine Group; Pierpaolo Monti, Intesa Sanpaolo; Monica Mandelli, KKR; Alfredo d’Innocenzo, Lavazza Americas; Riccardo Casale, Leonardo; Christian Steffens, Unicredit.
