It is with emotion and honor that I take up the position of Ambassador of Italy to the United States of America. I thank the President of the Italian Republic and the Italian Government for their trust. I shall devote myself fully to my new responsibilities in the interest of our beloved Italy.
I arrive in Washington at an exceptionally positive moment in our bilateral relations. With the Joint Statement adopted last April by Prime Minister Meloni and President Trump, an ambitious and concrete path has been laid out to deepen the strategic alliance between our countries.
Rome and Washington work side by side for peace, stability, and prosperity, united by a shared heritage of values and interests and by a long history of meetings and fruitful relations.
A constant dialogue, also marked by the frequent contacts between Deputy Prime Minister Tajani and Secretary of State Rubio, bears witness to the profound transatlantic harmony.
The United States is Italy’s leading trading partner outside Europe. In 2024, trade reached the record figure of about 140 billion dollars: a solid foundation upon which to continue building.
Alongside traditional Made in Italy sectors such as automotive, Italy’s culinary and wine excellences [prosecco, prosciutto, and Parmigiano], fashion, and design, I will work to expand bilateral cooperation into areas with the highest levels of innovation and added value. I am thinking, for instance, of space, where we collaborate with major U.S. companies and with NASA to ensure our presence in low Earth orbits, on the Moon, and on Mars, or of technologies related to new energies such as nuclear fusion.
Italy and its business system are crucial players in the American economy: Italian investments amount to about 43 billion dollars, with 6,000 companies with Italian participation employing nearly 300,000 people, including in leading technology sectors.
During my mission, I intend to devote strong attention to dialogue with our fellow citizens. To the many Italians who live and work in the United States, making us proud, I want to confirm that the Italian Embassy, the Italian consular network, and the entire Sistema Italia operating here are at your side.
I extend a warm greeting to the large Italian-American community, a fundamental bridge between our two countries. I know I can count on the warmth and affection of our American friends, which reflect the special relationship that exists between Italy and the United States.
For many Americans, Italy is an iconic place of art and beauty. More than four million American tourists visit our country each year. However, for many young people, it is also a center of cutting-edge education: Italy has for years been the top destination for Americans choosing to study abroad.
The United States also hosts one of the most significant communities of Italian researchers – over 15,000 – who, through their daily work, contribute to the scientific and technological development of our countries, from the basic sciences to cutting-edge sectors such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, quantum technologies, and space.
Italy and the United States are rooted in the same values. The intertwining of historical and human events has brought about cross-fertilization in the arts, music, and cinema, producing profound and extraordinary results. From the architecture of the American capital, with the Capitol, to the influence that American society has had on great Italian cinema, the reciprocal influences between our countries and cultures are countless.
Contemporary art itself developed thanks to these contacts. An exemplary story is that of Fortunato Depero, an artist who, from Futurist Italy, arrived in New York, where he mingled with the American avant-garde before returning to his native land. An exhibition dedicated to Depero will open on September 9th here at the Embassy, alongside many other important cultural diplomacy initiatives that we will carry out thanks to the Italian consular network and Cultural Institutes.
My first trip outside Washington will be – already next week – to Texas, where I will inaugurate the exhibition of Ancient Roman statues from the Torlonia Collection, in Fort Worth.
The value of our roots on one hand, and contemporary artistic research on the other, shall be the two poles around which our efforts to highlight Italy in the United States will revolve.
The year 2026 will be rich with important events, starting with the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence. Not to mention the many opportunities offered by sports diplomacy, from the World Cup in the United States to the Winter Olympics of Milano-Cortina, two years before those in Los Angeles in 2028.
We look to the future with confidence and energy: together we will seize the new opportunities arising from the profound changes underway.
Prime Minister Meloni has recently noted that Italy and the United States are “sister nations.” It is in this spirit that I begin my work today, confident that I can count on the support of all of you to fully develop the potential of our relations.
