Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Tajani is in Matera today for the States General of Cultural Diplomacy, the annual meeting of the Directors of the Cultural Institutes organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the strategy and lines of action of Italy’s cultural promotion in the world.
“Culture is an extraordinary engine of growth. It is worth EUR 300 billion and employs 1.5 million people,” explained the Minister. “The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been pursuing a highly articulated plan aimed at promoting a cultural programme that reflects Italy’s huge heritage, also by involving our local areas. It is therefore no coincidence that today we are in Matera, which has already been the European Capital of Culture and has a strong international vocation,” concluded Tajani. The previous editions were held in Naples in 2022 in Florence in 2023.
The conference consists of two days of seminars and debates featuring the directors of the Italian Cultural Institutes, as aimed at exploring the renewal of the cultural offer of the Institutes themselves, the role of communication, and the internationalisation of local areas.
The Italian Cultural Institutes are found in the main capitals and cities of the States with which Italy maintains diplomatic relations and serve as a meeting and dialogue point for intellectuals, artists, and cultural partners, as well as for Italians and foreign nationals who wish to establish or consolidate a relationship with Italy. The network currently consists of 88 branches spread across five continents.
The work of the Italian Cultural Institutes contributes to increasing Italy’s credibility in contemporary cultural production and to supporting the Italian cultural and creative industries, thus contributing to the growth of the entire Italian economy. As shown by the latest Symbola-Unioncamere survey, culture has a 1.8 multiplier effect on the rest of the economy – which means that for every euro produced by culture, 1.8 is activated in other economic sectors, such as tourism and transport.
