San Marino’s neutrality does not mean remaining indifferent in the face of violations of international law, human rights and fundamental freedoms. This was one of the key concepts addressed by Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Luca Beccari, who spoke on Tuesday, 27 October in Rome at the 17th edition of the Festival della Diplomazia (Diplomacy Festival), during a session titled “QuestionTime: San Marino”.
The event was held at the Centro Studi Americani, at Palazzo Mattei di Giove, before an audience of around 130 students from 30 countries. Also present were San Marino’s ambassador to Italy, Daniela Rotondaro, the Festival’s president, Giorgio Bartolomucci, and a large representation of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Republic.
This marked Beccari’s third consecutive participation in the event, which since 2010 has brought together institutional representatives, diplomats and experts each year to discuss foreign policy, international relations, cooperation and sustainable development.
During his remarks, the Secretary of State outlined the distinctive features of the Republic of San Marino to the students, focusing in particular on the Titano’s foreign policy and on the importance of diplomacy and multilateralism for a small state.
Part of the discussion was devoted to the current geopolitical situation and to the impact that international crises have even on countries geographically distant from areas of conflict.
The economy, demographic shifts, rising energy costs and labour market challenges were cited as problems common to many states, regardless of their size or geographic location.
This led to a call for strengthened international cooperation, based on the premise that no country can effectively tackle issues that have now taken on a global dimension by acting alone.
Beccari then turned to the meaning of San Marino’s neutrality, explaining how the principle has evolved over time alongside the growth of international organizations and multilateral cooperation.
According to the framework he outlined, the traditional concept of neutrality has gradually given way to that of “active neutrality”, which does not entail disinterest in world events.
From this perspective, maintaining a neutral stance does not mean staying silent in the face of clear violations of international law, human rights and fundamental freedoms — an approach Beccari linked to the role of diplomacy and to San Marino’s participation in multilateral bodies.
The final part of the session was reserved for questions from the students, who had the opportunity to engage directly with San Marino’s head of foreign policy on the leading issues of current international affairs and on the Republic’s role in relations between states.
