According to an op-ed published on
The National Interest, Trieste's geographical and geopolitical
advantages, rich history, and cultural diversity position it as
the "preeminent European gateway to the Indo-Pacific and the
engine driving India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
(IMEC)," unveiled at the 2023 G20 Summit in India.
"Trieste's proximity to major European cities like Vienna,
Munich, and Milan, along with its unparalleled access to
Europe's industrial heartland of northern Italy, Germany,
Switzerland, Austria, and parts of Eastern Europe, positions it
as Europe's prime entrepôt for eastern trade," wrote Kaush Arha,
President of the Free & Open Indo-Pacific Forum and a
nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, and Paolo
Messa, another nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic
Council. Trieste, which already handles roughly 70% of Turkish
imports to Europe, could become as important to Europe's trade
with the Indo-Pacific as Rotterdam is to the Atlantic,
benefiting the interests of the United States, Europe, and
Indo-Pacific nations alike, according to Arha and Messa. Both
Arha and Messa emphasised that Trieste's resurgence is largely
due to recent history and the Port's president, Zeno D'Agostino.
Furthermore, Italy's presidency of the G7 this year is critical
in cementing and advancing the Trieste-Monfalcone region as the
focal point of Europe's pivot to the Indo-Pacific. According to
the article, Italy should modernise road and rail infrastructure
to better connect Trieste with Central and Eastern Europe, as
well as provide national and local tax incentives and zoning
concessions to promote the country's national shipbuilding
industry, which is based in Trieste-Monfalcone. Finally, the
Italian government should advocate for a Trieste Investment
Forum in close collaboration with American, European, Middle
Eastern, and Indo-Pacific partners.
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