Corrado Clini: «Italy-China environmental cooperation»

Corrado Clini claims credit for environmental cooperation between Italy and China. Former Ministry of Environment writes on his blog: «Last week some newspapers wrote about the “disreputable cooperation between Rome and Bejiing” that would have been highlighted by the Italian Court of Auditors on the basis of reports and depositions by Minister of Environment's functionaries. «A betrayal against whats was done by Italy in last years» Clini says. 

Recently Clini has returned to China; he is visiting professor at the Tshingua Beijing University. In China «he received confirmation that Chinese government continues to recommend environmental cooperation with Italy as reference model to European countries, as the Chinese Environment Minister has recalled to Minister Galletti». 

Clini goes on to say: «Environmental cooperation with China was supported in 14 years, on the basis of bilateral agreements signed within Italian laws of ratification of Montreal Protocol and Kyoto Protocol, with 185 million for the co-financing of 200 projects. The World Bank, the European Commission, the Global Environment Facility and the Chinese Ministers has helped with other 165 million euro. The Italian loan was almost doubled with the help of Chinese and international institutions. Indirect effects of our work have generated a turnover of 900 million euro for Italian companies». 

Clini is waiting to read the complete reports on the basis of the Italian Court of Auditors stated “Italian public money was throw away”. The figures don’t add up because «the same report highlights the positive results of our work in China». 

The former Minister cannot understand: «I wonder, as the Financial Times did last August, who finally tells us the reasons why the former Italian ambassador and some Italian ministry functionaries have chosen to build false information to denigrate Italy’s work in China».