H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini, Italy’s Ambassador in The Hague, leaves the country
From 2016 to today, H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini has skillfully represented his country in the Netherlands. As his post in The Hague draws to an end, the diplomatic community wants to thank him for the great contribution that he has brought to diplomatic life in Netherlands during his tenure as Italy’s Ambassador.
By Guido Lanfranchi.
It was in June 2016 that the whole adventure started, as the Italian government appointed a new Ambassador to the Netherlands: H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini. An experienced diplomat with a career of over 30 years in Rome and around the world, Ambassador Perugini left his prestigious position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ headquarters, where he was working as Deputy Director General/Principal Director for Asia, Oceania, and the Pacific, and moved to The Hague.
In his new experience in The Hague, Ambassador Perugini had to cover a wide range of roles. Not only did he have to represent his country vis-à-vis the Dutch government and people, Mr. Perugini was also appointed as Italy’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
In all domains, Ambassador Perugini’s work was remarkable and well appreciated by his colleagues in the diplomatic community. Soon, he became known for the seriousness and the quality of his work as Italy’s top diplomat in the Netherlands.
During his four years as Ambassador, Mr. Perugini played a crucial role in promoting the Italian culture and traditions throughout the whole of the Netherlands. Thanks to his guidance, the Italian Gastronomy Week achieved an unprecedented degree of success.
Moreover, he worked very hard to promote Italy’s musical culture during the events organized by the Embassy. Many from the diplomatic community of the Netherlands will remember the performance of the Fanfara dei Bersaglieri, Sezione di Altamura in May 2018, during the majestic celebration organized by Ambassador Perugini and the Italian Embassy for the 72nd anniversary of the Italian Republic.
The Ambassador will surely be remembered by the Italian diaspora in the Netherlands too. Throughout his four years in the country, Mr. Perugini engaged extremely actively with the large number of Italians living in the Netherlands – including associations of businesspeople and shop-owners, as well as individual citizens. Day after day, his agenda was always full.
Ambassador Perugini’s activism was not confined to his role as Ambassador, but it was also an engaged Gender Champion and very much present in his work as Permanent Representative to the OPCW. An engaged figure in the organization, from May 2019 to May 2020 the Ambassador also had the honor to preside the OPCW’s Executive Council, steering its work through complex times.
Finally, the Spring of 2020 brought new challenges for the Ambassador. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit Italy and Europe very hard, Mr. Perugini and the whole Embassy had to double down on their work to address the needs of Italian citizens in the Netherlands and beyond. Yet, even in these difficult circumstances, the Ambassador strove to find a way to celebrate – albeit remotely – the 74th anniversary of the Italian Republic.
After four intense years, however, Ambassador Perugini’s experience as Italy’s Ambassador in the Netherlands is now almost over. All good things come to an end, and so does any diplomatic posting. At the end of September, Mr. Perugini is set to leave his job, and Diplomat Magazine – together with the whole diplomatic community of the Netherlands – wants to bid a heartfelt farewell to him. Dear Ambassador, we will always remember you; best of luck for your future, and “arrivederci”!
