The General Commandant of the Harbour Master and Coast Guard, Admiral Vincenzo Melone, headed an Italian delegation to Washington last week to participate in the Sea-Air-Space Exposition 2017, organized by the Navy League. He also attended a bilateral meeting with the U.S. Coast Guard. Besides Admiral Melone, the Italian delegation included Rear Admiral Nicola Carlone, Chief of the Third Department, Plans and Operations, of the Italian Coast Guard; Captain-Lieutenant Enrico Castioni, Head of International Affairs Office; and Counsellor Gianluca Alberini from the Italian Embassy in Washington. The General Command of the U.S. Coast Guard hosted a series of meetings with the Italian delegation. This was done with a view to strengthen cooperation between the two administrations, with special reference to training staff as a way of supporting continuity of relations between the Italian and U.S. Coast Guard. Cooperation in this field is very important also in light of the existence of a marked similarity in the tasks both Corps carry out in their own territorial areas and which have an impact on their institutional tasks and relevant procedures. The Italian delegation also met with Armando Varricchio, the Italian ambassador to the United States. Admiral Valter Girardelli, Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, also attended the meeting.