A meeting of the Italian Cultural Institutes and Embassies of the MENA region on 15 and 16 June focussed on the key themes of the project “2018. Italy, Culture, Mediterranean”. Those attending included: the Ambassador in Beirut, Massimo Marotti, the General Manager for the Promotion of the Country System, Min. Plen. Vincenzo De Luca, the Deputy General Manager – Central Manager for the promotion of Italian language and culture, Min. Plen. Roberto Vellano, Min. Plen. Massimo Riccardo, as coordinator of cultural promotion initiatives in the plan “Living the Italian way” and Cons. Emb. Gabriele Di Muzio, Head of Office VIII of the Directorate General for the Promotion of the Country System (DGSP). In addition to the Rome delegation were, the Managers of the Area’s Culture Institutes, the Scientific Operator working out of Cairo and the diplomatic functionaries in charge of the cultural promotion of the diplomatic-consular representatives operating in the area countries in which there is no culture institute, also attended. A key theme of the meeting was the presentation of the project “2018. Italy, Culture, Mediterranean”, which is run by the DGSP throughout 2018, in the countries of the expanded Mediterranean basin. It will share the common thread of dialogue between the cultures and traditions of the Mediterranean that has always characterised our diplomacy, including in the cultural field. The sessions had two aims: the illustration of the philosophy that supports the initiatives and presentation of proposals of events to be organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which may be planned in the area, and the collecting suggestions and proposals from the network of diplomatic-consular institutes and representatives. The short-term aim is to define the programming schedule of “Italy, Culture, Mediterranean”, which will feature the events and projects to be carried out in 2018.