Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani will chair the institutional session of the States General of Cultural Diplomacy, to be held today at the Raffaele Gervasio Auditorium in Matera.
“Culture is an extraordinary vehicle for building solid and fruitful international relations: right from the beginning of my term of office, we have placed great importance on cultural diplomacy, strengthening the network of Italian Cultural Institutes abroad and the range of initiatives aimed at raising awareness of our historical, cultural and literary heritage,” said the Minister, who also highlighted the sector’s strong economic value, which also includes areas such as design and fashion, with an estimated value of around EUR 600 billion a year and more than 280,000 active companies.
The event will also be attended by Italy’s Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini, Minister for Institutional Reforms and Regulatory Simplification Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, Undersecretary of State to the Ministry of Education and Merit Paola Frassinetti, and by the President of the Basilicata region Vito Bardi.
The conference, which will take place between 5 and 6 November, will be an opportunity to further discuss the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to renewing the cultural offer of the Italian Cultural Institutes. The topics to be discussed include: the strengthening of innovative proposals capable of speaking to young people across the five continents, the promotion of Italian territories, and the improvement of the quality of the cultural offer. The event, which takes place annually, represents an important moment of dialogue on Italian cultural promotion in the world, featuring debates, seminars and working groups.
