The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi participated – at the Brazilian Embassy in Rome – in the awarding ceremony of the first “Ciccillo Matarazzo” Prize, a prestigious award conceived by the Brazilian Embassy to pay tribute to Italian citizens or Italian descendants who have distinguished themselves in their activities abroad.
The 2024 prize was awarded to the entrepreneur Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello, already awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic in 2005, and Chairman of the Boards of Directors of several large Italian-Brazilian companies.
In her speech, Undersecretary Tripodi emphasised that the prize, awarded on the 150th anniversary of Italian emigration to Brazil, is “a meritorious initiative of recognition for the Italian-Brazilians who have contributed and continue to contribute significantly to the welfare of Brazilian society.” A contribution – as she recalled – “that I could personally appreciate on the occasion of my recent visit to Sao Paulo, having a first-hand experience of the dynamics of our collaboration and the impact of the Italian community on Brazilian society”.
She added: “Italy and Brazil are building a path for stepping up their relations at a political, cultural and economic level and both countries are at the centre of the international scene this year, thanks to their respective Presidencies of the G7 and G20, united in promoting the global values of peace, human rights and environmental sustainability”.
