ASELSAN Strengthens Its European Footprint with Landmark Electronic Warfare Contract in Poland
02 Februarie 2026
The conflict in the Middle East has ushered in a period of significant international instability. The foremost priority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been to assist Italian citizens affected by the crisis, ensuring their safe return to Italy. However, every international crisis requires a broader assessment of its consequences. Alongside the tragedy of war, profound effects on global economic balances are emerging.
The tensions affecting the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz clearly highlight the vulnerability of some of the world’s main arteries of international trade. The ongoing crisis is already exerting strong inflationary pressure on gas, oil and other strategic goods such as fertilisers, with knock-on effects on global food prices. When these critical hubs are exposed to geopolitical tensions, the urgency of strengthening the security and diversification of trade routes becomes clear.
In recent years, Europe has faced a similar challenge. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine necessitated a rapid diversification of energy supply sources. Within a few months, we re-evaluated infrastructure, supply chains and partnerships to ensure security and continuity for our economic systems. Today, the crisis in the Middle East calls for a comparable reflection regarding trade routes. In this context, the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) takes on particular importance. This is not merely a line on a map, but a potential reorganisation of logistics networks and industrial value chains connecting India, the Gulf and Europe — capable of reshaping trade flows and reinforcing the Mediterranean’s role as a strategic hub linking Asia and Europe, with potential benefits for Italy estimated at up to EUR 26 billion.
When global trade routes change, economic geographies change as well. New commercial corridors create new logistical and productive hinterlands: territories that attract investment, host distribution centres and develop industrial activities connected to international value chains. If one of the main European gateways for these routes is the Mediterranean — in particular the Northern Adriatic — its natural reach cannot be limited to Western European markets alone. It will inevitably extend to Central Europe and the Western Balkans, which serve as the geographical and infrastructural bridge between the Mediterranean and the heart of the continent.
Owing to their geographical position, proximity to European markets and progressive alignment with EU standards, the Western Balkans can become an integral part of this new logistics architecture: not merely a transit area, but a genuine economic hinterland for routes connecting Asia and Europe, capable of attracting investment and strengthening regional value chains. The region’s infrastructure will also benefit from this evolution, helping to manage and distribute a portion of the commercial flows arriving in Europe via the corridor.
Within this scenario, the Mediterranean once again assumes strategic centrality. Italy, due to its geographical position, naturally serves as a logistics platform connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. Our port system represents one of Europe’s major strategic infrastructures: an extensive network linking the Mediterranean to Europe’s main economic and industrial corridors.
Within this system, the Northern Adriatic occupies a privileged position in connecting the Mediterranean with Central Europe. Trieste, by virtue of its history, location and infrastructure links, represents one of the most natural hubs within this network. It is therefore no coincidence that on 17 March Trieste will host two important events dedicated to regional cooperation and emerging economic routes: the celebrations marking the thirtieth anniversary of the Central European Initiative (CEI) and a forum on the IMEC Corridor.
These occasions will provide an opportunity to discuss the future of connectivity between the Mediterranean, the Balkans and Central Europe, with the participation of ministers from Balkan countries, senior representatives of states involved in the IMEC Corridor and business leaders, highlighting the strategic role of this region in developing new logistics and industrial value chains between Asia and Europe.
Strengthening the links between the Mediterranean, Europe and the Indo-Pacific enhances the economic security of our continent. In this new geography of global trade routes, Italy can and must play a leading role.
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Antonio Tajani is Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Italy.
He began his career as a journalist in 1980 and worked as a parliamentary reporter. Antonio Tajani was also a special correspondent in Lebanon, the Soviet Union and Somalia.
A co-founder of Forza Italia, he was the party’s regional coordinator in Lazio from 1994 to 2005. In the first Berlusconi government, he served as the Prime Minister’s spokesperson.
In 1994 he was elected for the first time to the European Parliament. That marked the start of over two decades of strong commitment to the European project and to the citizens of the European Union. As a member of the Convention on the Future of Europe chaired by Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, he worked on the text of the draft European Constitution.
From 2001 to 2004 he also served as a councillor in Rome City Council.
He was appointed European Commissioner for Transport in 2008 and was instrumental in developing the trans-European transport networks and creating a European legislative framework to safeguard passengers’ rights. In 2010 he was appointed Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship and Vice President of the European Commission.
In 2014, he was re-elected as a Member of the European Parliament and became First Vice President, with responsibility for security, interfaith dialogue and the House of European history.
On 17 January 2017 he was elected President of the European Parliament.
From 2019 to 2022 he served as Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and of the Conference of Committee Chairs of the European Parliament. In January 2022, he was re-elected, by acclamation, Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
He has been Vice President of the European People’s Party since 2002. He was Vice President of the political party “Forza Italia” from July 2018 to July 2023. He has also been National Coordinator since February 2021. On 15 July 2023, he was unanimously elected National Secretary of Forza Italia.
On 22 October 2022 he was appointed Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
