The Italo-Latin American Institute (IILA) organized today in Rome, in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency, the 4th meeting of the Space Agencies of its member countries, dedicated this year to the theme “Cooperate to implement concrete actions and face common challenges”. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Edmondo Cirielli, participated on behalf of the Italian Government.
In his opening speech, the Deputy Minister underlined the importance of international scientific cooperation in the space sector and the strong commitment always guaranteed in this respect by Italy. These are strategic choices consolidated in long-standing partnerships with Latin American countries that the Government now wants to step up. The Foreign Ministry is in fact committed to promoting space diplomacy as a vector of international cooperation, sustainable development and social inclusion. Among the most recent initiatives, special mention should be made of the training projects in the Dominican Republic and Panama, which see the participation of La Sapienza University of Rome and local partners in the development of nanosatellites and the installation of ground stations.
The Deputy Minister said: “The collaborations between our countries are virtuous examples of scientific and technological diplomacy, capable of generating positive effects for the growth of national space systems. These are technologies that will help us to address the global challenges we face with ever greater effectiveness.” The Deputy Minister reaffirmed the Italian Government’s commitment to supporting and promoting open, inclusive and innovation-oriented space cooperation in the Americas, also in view of the next Italy-Latin America and Caribbean Conference scheduled in Rome on 7 October.