The meeting was held in Paris on the occasion of the 55th Salon International de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace – Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, in the presence of the president of the Italian Space Agency, Teodoro Valente

ESA Ministerial Conference 2025 (CM25), space exploration, and international cooperation: these are some of the strategic dossiers addressed by the Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Mimit) Adolfo Urso, during his meeting with the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, held on the occasion of the 55th edition of the "Salon International de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace – Paris Air Show" at Le Bourget. Also present at the meeting was the President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Teodoro Valente.

Urso, in his capacity as the delegated authority for the Italian Government’s space and aerospace policies, emphasized the importance of the upcoming ESA Ministerial Conference, scheduled for November 26-27 in Bremen, for the future of European space policies and confirmed Italy’s willingness to run for the presidency of CM25. “Italy intends to take a leading role in preparing and defining the European space strategy, strengthening bilateral dialogue with other member states and with ESA’s management. We are at a crucial turning point: Europe’s future in Space is being decided now, and we want to be protagonists", stated Minister Urso.

At the 2022 ESA Ministerial, Italy confirmed a total commitment of 3.2 billion euros. Ahead of CM25, an evaluation is underway regarding the contribution capability of our country for the subsequent three-year period, aligned with national priorities, industrial system interests, and the macroeconomic context. This analysis will also take into account the ambitious target set at the ESA level, totalling 23 billion euros.

The meeting with Aschbacher was an opportunity to discuss international relations, particularly with the United States and NASA (the American space agency). “Transatlantic cooperation remains essential, especially within the Artemis program. It is also our intention to strengthen our role in future satellite constellations in collaboration with NASA and other space agencies", continued the Mimit minister.

On the occasion of the Salon International de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace – Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, Urso will also hold a series of institutional meetings with the leadership of the Thales Group – including Pascale Sourisse, Vice President of the Group, Marc Darmon, President of Thales Italy, and Donato Amoroso, CEO of Thales Italy – and with Mark Lundstrom, CEO of the company Radia. This will be followed by a visit to the Italian Space Agency’s booth, a bilateral meeting with Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, and with the leadership of Leonardo at their booth at the "Paris Air Show".