Italy is a cultural superpower,
Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Monday at a meeting with
the newly appointed president of the Italian National Commission
for UNESCO, business executive and economist Franco Bernabè.
"The cultural dimension of diplomacy, foreign policy, of
the way Italy projects itself into the world is absolutely key,"
Gentiloni said.
"One could say Italy is a cultural superpower. The
relationship with UNESCO is very important from this point of
view".
The government is "very proud" of the fact that Italy is
the country with the most UNESCO World Heritage sites - 51 in
all, Gentiloni added.
The National Commission for UNESCO has twin objectives, the
minister added - that of coordinating Italian proposals to the
UN agency and that of defending Italy's cultural heritage,
including from "the menace of terrorism".
Preserving cultural heritage means "not only valuing the
legacy of the past, but to make sure the future also has
resources upon which to build," Bernabé said.
"I make this commitment with extreme seriousness...in view
of the creation of humanity's future cultural heritage - the one
present generations will leave future ones".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
