Farewell, as Consul General Camussi returns to Rome

The lunch saw the participation of more than 100 people.

A more informal farewell was also hosted by Com.It.Es. QLD & NT at the Italian Language Centre, Brisbane, which included President of CO.AS.IT. QLD Nereo Brezzi and President of Com.It.Es. QLD & NT Mariangela Stagnitti.

Camussi has served with great distinction the jurisdiction of Queensland and the Northern Territory throughout the last four years and will return to the ministry in Rome halfway through December.

The restaurant lunch was honoured by the illustrious presence of the highest executive members of La Scala Theatre of Milan, including artistic director Maria Di Freda and director of the Corps of Ballet Frederic Olivieri.

John Kotzas was also present, alongside the delegated administrator of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), which has recently hosted the exclusive Australian season of La Scala.

President of ICCI QLD, Santo Santoro, spoke with great pride on the strong association between La Scala and the chamber, who have been recently recognised as official partners in Queensland.

He also spoke on the pleasure and pride of working alongside Kotzas and his team at QPAC throughout the last seven years, and his role in helping to plan and secure the La Scala tour in Queensland.

The tour recently concluded and it was received with great pleasure by the Italo-Australian community of Brisbane, Queensland, the other states and territories and more widely by the local and interstate multicultural community.

During the lunch, Camussi was interviewed in an informal way by Santoro, who asked him on his professional and personal successes during his time as consul general and throughout his experience at the helm of the consulate in Brisbane.

Camussi firstly thanked the president Santoro for his collaboration in these years and for the warm welcoming he received from the beginning of his period in the capital of Queensland.

Santoro and the exiting consul general then undertook an interesting and stimulating session of questions and answers that allowed the participants at the lunch to better comprehend the work of an Italian diplomat and in particular that of consul general.

In his responses, Camussi revealed the motives which pushed him to study political science and international relations, as well as the quantity learned while undertaking his diplomatic career.

The consul general then spoke on the differences between his preceding mission in Chile and his Australian experience.

In South America, Camussi was dedicated principally to commerce, in the role of head of commercial office of the Italian embassy, while the role of consul general was almost exclusively oriented towards the bettering and rationalisation of the consular services, while considering the priority of the office in Brisbane and the necessity of safeguarding efficient service to Italian citizens following the initial events immediately after his arrival.

After this, Camussi announced the arrival at the beginning of January of his successor, Salvatore Napolitano, saying that the future of the consulate in Brisbane will be for the most part oriented to directly promoting the Italian system, having overcome some of the critical issues that up until now have impeded some activity in the sector.

In regards to the state of economic-commercial relations between Italy and Australia, Camussi reminded everyone of the presence in the area of more than 200 Italian businesses, maintaining that with the conclusion of negotiations between the European Union and Australia, in sight of an agreement of free exchange, there will be a greater margin for an increase both in Italian presence in investments, as well as greater commercial exchange.

This is true also of Australian investments in Italy, and, according to the consul general, the margin is set only to increase, while overcoming the relative perception of burocratic difficulties, which given the geographic distance and distance in mentality between the two countries, at times seem insurmountable when viewed from Australia,

In reality, Italy in recent years has been enriched by normative simplifications and transparency in public procedures which are innovative and functional.

At the end of the lunch, Santoro invited owner of the restaurant Tony Percuoco and his wife Gordana to the podium, thanking them from his heart for having prepared for the occasion an exquisite menu.

Percuoco was recognised by Santoro as one of the “masterchefs” of Queensland and of all Australia, remarking on how his restaurant has served as a second home for the exiting consul general.

In his final conclusion, Camussi confessed that he will miss the healthy and exquisite food prepared by Percuoco and his staff.

Percuoco then expressed his gratitude to ICCI QLD for their continued support, and in particular remembered the assiduous attendance at his restaurant by the president Santoro, so much so that he has decided to call the risotto with crab and peas, which is the favourite dish of the president, “risotto al Santo Santoro”.