Following a joint proposal of the Italian and German governments, Ambassador Michele Valensise, former Secretary General of the Italian Foreign Ministry, was appointed today president of the Associazione Villa Vigoni by the assembly of the members of the Italo-German association.
The Association has its head office in Menaggio, on Lake of Como, and works on many initiatives co-funded by Italy and Germany, in its role as an important forum of political and cultural dialogue between the two countries. Its activities arise from the legacy bequeathed by Ignazio Vigoni (1905-1983) to the Federal Republic of Germany, setting forth the obligation of promoting a centre of Italo-German higher education and culture. Villa Vigoni has thus become a forum of excellence between academics, researchers and civil society representatives of the two countries within the framework of a strong European cooperation and with the aim of further enhancing this cooperative effort. Minister Gentiloni welcomed the election of Ambassador Valensise, former ambassador in Berlin, in the hope to renew the dialogue with a partner as relevant as Germany. The German president of the Association is Michael Gerdts, former anbassador in Rome, while Professor Immacolata Imodeo was appointed Secretary General.
