AII SG at Conference on “Ports at the core of a Adriatic-Ionian Region: cooperation and competitiveness towards the sustainable transition" - 27 February, Ancona
On 27 February 2026, Ambassador Castellaneta, Secretary General of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, took part in the event “Ports at the core of an Adriatic-Ionian Region: cooperation and competitiveness towards the sustainable transition”, hosted by the Central Adriatic Sea Port Authority in Ancona.
The one-day meeting brought together representatives of the International Maritime Organization, the European Commission, the European Parliament, port authorities and key stakeholders from the maritime and logistics sectors to discuss the implications of the Mediterranean Sea’s designation as an Emission Control Area (ECA), as well as the strategic role of ports as hubs for energy transition, competitiveness and intermodal connectivity across the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region.
In his remarks, Ambassador Castellaneta underlined that ports are not merely infrastructures, but true “gates of Europe”: economic, energy and cultural connectors linking countries, markets and communities. Strengthening transport corridors, enhancing intermodality and advancing environmental sustainability, he stressed, means building the concrete foundations for deeper and more credible European integration, particularly for the Western Balkans. Physical connections, he noted, often anticipate and accompany political ones.
The Secretary General also recalled the 25th anniversary of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, celebrated last June in Ancona, describing it as an important milestone to reflect on the achievements of the past twenty-five years and to further strengthen the Initiative’s long-term commitment to cooperation in the Region.
Looking ahead, Ambassador Castellaneta outlined the upcoming milestones of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative calendar: the meeting of Senior Officials in Ohrid (4–5 March), the annual Conference of Speakers of Parliament in April – which will focus in particular on the development of corridors VIII and X – and the Ministerial Meeting at the end of May, marking the conclusion of the North Macedonian Presidency and the beginning of the Italian Presidency of the Initiative.
Reaffirming that European integration remains the Initiative’s guiding star, Ambassador Castellaneta highlighted that enhanced port cooperation and connectivity are not only drivers of sustainable growth, but also essential instruments to consolidate the European perspective of the Adriatic-Ionian Region.