Italy hopes to make its presence felt in Bahrain

Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Angelo La Marte, a career diplomat, arrived in the capital of East Germany as a Minister Counsellor, second man in the Italian embassy.

Eight months later, in October 1990, he closed the embassy's door for the last time. Germany had at last reunited and all foreign envoys had to move to Bonn.

Twenty-two years later, La Marte opened another mission – the first ever Italian embassy in Bahrain.

He came here on February 15, 2002, one day after the proclamation of the Kingdom by His Majesty the King, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, whom he could not see until the first week of April.

La Marte told Gulf News in an exclusive interview at his residence in an upper class neighbourhood of the Adlya suburb in the capital Manama: "I had to wait for another 45 days to introduce my credentials to the King because we had to change several words in the introductory letter.

"I told His Majesty I was not only the first Italian ambassador to Bahrain but also the first foreign envoy to the 'Kingdom of Bahrain'."

Although he has been around the world during his 31 years of diplomatic service, his post in Bahrain was his first 'real encounter' with the Arab-Islamic culture.

"When the ministry told me that I was going to open a new embassy in Bahrain, which is a small country in a region but is very important to the West and a very sensitive area, I was thrilled, to getting a chance at last to learn in the real sense this region's civilisation."

La Marte is encouraged by the fact that his service here began at the time when Bahrain was going through massive political and social reforms. "The King is keen on modernising the society in terms of democratisation, transparency and accountability."

He said the slow pace of these reforms was the best approach. "The King is doing it the right way and I admire that," he commented, adding one has to get the right scope and timing in order not to 'disrupt the society', which cannot be changed from a traditional society to a full-fledged democracy overnight.

He called on the Bahraini opposition to give this experience its due course and take part in all of its aspects, especially the upcoming Parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 24.

But otherwise, he is 'realistic' about what could be accomplished here. "My interests are mostly economic," he admitted.

He said it was only lately that Rome acknowledged the argument that it was "politically incorrect for us not to have a mission in Bahrain; the only GCC country which didn't have an Italian embassy; that was true especially when there were many Italian businessmen doing business here but didn't have the official political support other foreign investors enjoyed from their countries.

"Secondly, this area is important to us in the west; and the level of exports from Italy to Bahrain required the presence of a permanent mission in Manama. But I am a realist," he said, referring to the size of Bahrain as a market for trade, investment or business in general.

He said it was true that Sylvio Berlusconi, the present Italian Prime Minister, businessman-turned politician, wants the Italian embassies abroad to commercially promote their country.

La Marte hopes to increase the current level of mutual trade, worth $170 million ($110 million of Italian exports including industrial equipment, furniture, garments and $60 million of Bahraini exports.

The Italian envoy also believed that the western ambassadors in the region and the Arab ambassadors in the west should do whatever they can to help both worlds overcome suspicions, long-list of ready-made accusations and stereotypes which exist between them, especially after the attacks on the U.S. last September.

"I was happy to see some Italian presence in Bahrain in terms of food, design and music sometimes. So my mission is to strengthen this kind of interaction between the two cultures.

"The approach that I've suggested to the Foreign Ministry (in Rome) in dealing with the commercial and economic matters is not only about material goods, but this should be part of a package comprising Italian goods, culture, art and fashion etc."

The psychological fallouts of September 11 have yet to be overcome, the ambassador said, because of the acute prejudice in certain western societies identifying terrorism with Islamic nature.

But one of the surprisingly-positive effects of September 11 observed La Marte, is "the acknowledgment of the need to improve the image of the Islamic nations in the western societies in general and the media in particular.

About the current situation in Palestine the ambassador, said the situation on ground was "not favourable for resumption of negotiations.

"What we are witnessing now is the spiralling of violence. We are caught in a kind of a logical loop; each side says they are reacting to the other's actions. What is needed is to force both sides to come back to the negotiation table."

La Marte notes that Italy suggested "a European Marshal Plan" (like the one the U.S. initiated in post-war Europe) which will eliminate the suffering of the Palestinian people.

"Working on the economic development of the Palestinian territories, as soon as the situation allows it, will reduce extremist tendencies," he explained.

However, for the time being, the situation is deteriorating; "and both sides have to understand that they have to get out of this cycle."

La Marte dismissed this Arab implication as 'untrue' that the Israeli repression of the Palestinians could not have gone this far without the full political and military support of the current U.S. administration. He said the Americans just happen to have other things on their minds right now.

"The U.S. is busy… concentrating on the terrorism threat. Thus, it is not using its influence and full potential in the region's peace process," he explained.