A broad overview of the problems of Adriatic Italianity, both with regard to the indigenous presence and with reference to Istrian, Fiume and Dalmatian exiles and their descendants: this was presented by the President of the Federation of Associations of Istrian, Fiume and Dalmatian Exiles, Prof. Attorney Giuseppe de Vergottini, guest this morning of the Foreign and Community Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies. The hearing - preceded by a timely presentation made by the President of the Commission Piero Fassino on the institutional context in which the Federation operates - took place thanks to the interest of the Hon. Vito Comencini, who introduced de Vergottini by providing colleagues with some initial information on the issues still open.

"First of all - said the President of FederEsuli - I recalled the significance of the more relaxed political climate that has developed in recent years, which has allowed an objective improvement in cross-border relations, with appreciation for the role of our Head of State and the competent ministries. I then underlined how the Federation is working in close collaboration with the Italian Union, an organization that represents our compatriots in a unified way in the territories once ceded to the Yugoslav republic. I referred to the common projects that we are developing. I could not remain silent about the persistence of an unsatisfactory situation regarding the implementation of the 1996 Dini-Granić agreement on bilingualism. I underlined the importance of the attention given today to the Italian presence in Cattaro, recalling the role of the associations of Italian Dalmatians. Thanks to their commitment, several communities are being reorganized: from Zara to Veglia, Lesina and Spalato".

The refinancing of Law 72/2001 is relevant to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with which the Third Commission interfaces. Interventions to protect the historical and cultural heritage of the communities of Italian exiles from Istria, Fiume and Dalmatia, a question on which de Vergottini dwelt, also bringing to the attention of the Commission the possibility of establishing a Foundation that would deal with the protection of the history, culture and rights of Adriatic Italianity using part of the funds still owed by the neighbouring republics for the results of the Treaty of Osimo.

"The good relations between Italy, Slovenia and Croatia - continues de Vergottini - and the exhumations that have already taken place in Castua and Ossero in Croatian territory give us hope that the foibe and mass graves will be identified where a multilingual plaque can be placed to commemorate the massacres carried out by the Yugoslav communist partisans during and immediately after the Second World War. The hope is that the remains can be identified and then the descendants of the victims can be informed of the place where they can go to commemorate their relatives".

After a few questions that allowed the President of FederEsuli to range over various topics, the Hon. Fassino was asked to commit to voting on a document regarding two topics in particular. To urge the parliamentary process for the approval of the regulatory changes necessary for the revocation of the honor of the Italian Republic at the time assigned to Josip Broz “Tito” and to obtain the execution of the presidential decree of Carlo Azeglio Ciampi that in 2001 assigned the Gold Medal for Military Valor to the banner of the City of Zadar, but which has not yet been physically delivered due to the controversy that broke out at the time in Croatia. The changed state of relations with Zagreb should have made both solutions feasible. Finally, the need to advocate for the resumption of the government technical table to which to report the various pending issues involving the associations, starting from the long-standing and unabandoned expectation regarding compensation, was recalled.