ITALIAN AMBASSADOR CHARMS AUDIENCE
As the Year of Italian Culture 2013 winds down, it was fitting that the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) featured Italian Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero as the speaker at its Frank J. Guarini Public Policy Forum, held on Capitol Hill on November 14, 2013. Five members of Congress attended the conference – Representatives Bill Pascrell and Pat Tiberi (co-chairmen of the Italian-American Congressional Delegation), Tom Marino, Rosa DeLauro and Kerry Bentivolio. Representatives of several corporate sponsors attended, as did AMHS members Francesco Isgro, Pino Cicala, Carmelo Cicala, and this myself. NIAF’s Mark Valente, in his familiar role as emcee, introduced John M. Viola, NIAF’s president, who welcomed the attendance of the members of Congress and who commended the Italian-
American Congressional Delegation for being a moderate, centrist group working hard to find solutions to our nation’s problems. Rep. Tiberi then introduced Ambassador Bisogniero, noting that the ambassador speaks excellent English (he joked that the Ambassador “speaks better English than some of my consitituents”). Ambassador Bisogniero began by noting that Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta had just come to Washington and had a private luncheon with President Obama at the White House, and Italian Senate President Pietro Grasso recently met with Vice President Joe Biden. Italy, the Ambassador said, stands side by side and shoulder to shoulder with the U.S., from Afghanistan to Kosovo and other trouble spots around the world.
When America is reaching out looking for friends on some tough issues, he said, “Italy delivers.” Speaking about the economic front, he noted that exports to the U.S. will help Italy get out of its economic crisis, but jobs are needed too. Italy exports not only fashion and wines, as you would expect, he noted, but also high-tech items. As examples, he cited the modules of space stations where the astronauts live and work, and components for the Boeing 737 Dreamliner which are made in Puglia (but not the lithium batteries which caught fire—these were made in Japan, he pointed out, not Italy!!).
The ambassador noted that there are now 30,000 U.S. students studying in Italy, not to mention all the tourists visiting Italy. And in this country, 80,000 people are studying Italian. Regarding culture, Ambassador Bisogniero noted that of course Italy is a powerhouse for culture, having 5,000 museums and 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (more than any other country). He said that this Year of Italian Culture 2013 has been a remarkable success with 300 events in 60 U.S. cities, focusing on art, science, fashion, and cinema. He noted that 2013 is the bicentennial of the great Giuseppe Verdi and he pointed out that an orchestra from La Scala will be performing at Strathmore Music Center on December 4, 2013.
Also, Expo 2015 in Milan, on “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” so far counts more than 130 countries participating, and the Ambassador said he expects a strong American presence. Looking to the future, Ambassador Bisogniero noted that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is being negotiated between the European Union and the United States, to lower trade barriers, and he said he hopes the talks will conclude successfully by the end of 2014 (a side-note offered by AMHS President Maria D’Andrea – her team at the U.S. Department of Commerce is playing a critical role in these negotiations to lower barriers affecting clothing and textile trade, a “win-win” for the U.S and the EU.).
The Ambassador concluded hsi remarks by stressing the need to promote the teaching of the Italian language and strengthening the AP Italian program. Rep Pascrell gave the closing remarks, thanking Ambassador Bisogniero for his informative talk and praising him for the wonderful job he has been doing. He also called on the various national Italian-American organizations to work more closely together, thus increasing their clout.