L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 4 " M y e x p e c t a t i o n s were high, and they were not only met b u t e x c e e d e d . I n L o s A n g e l e s , I found a dynamic environ- ment and an extraordinary, supporting team, both at the Consulate and throughout the entire Sistema Italia." M a r c h 2 0 2 4 m a r k s t h e f i r s t y e a r f o r R a f f a e l l a Valentini as Consul Gen- eral of Italy in Los Ange- les. The Southern Californ- i a n C o n s u l a t e , w h i c h includes the jurisdictions of New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona, is her first diplo- m a t i c a s s i g n m e n t i n t h e United States. After spending five years as Deputy Head of Office for the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Balkan countries at the Directorate General for Development Coopera- tion, Dr Valentini worked at t h e I t a l i a n E m b a s s y i n Tirana for an equal amount of time as Head of the Eco- nomic and Commercial Sec- t i o n . T h e n s h e m o v e d t o Egypt, where she served as Political Counselor at the Italian Embassy in Cairo until 2016. Valentini then returned to Rome, to the o f f i c e o f t h e D i p l o m a t i c Advisor to the President of the Council of Ministers. In this capacity, until March 2023, she dealt with global issues, international organi- zations, sub-Saharan Africa, and G7-G20 dossiers, work- i n g c l o s e l y w i t h s e v e r a l Prime Ministers. Consul Valentini, you h a v e j u s t c e l e b r a t e d your first year leading one of the United States' most prominent Italian Consulates. Was there a particularly meaningful m o m e n t , d u r i n g t h e past 12 months, you'd like to share with our readers? There hasn't been a sin- g l e m o m e n t , b u t r a t h e r many important milestones. The first among them, both in terms of chronological order and symbolic impor- tance, were the celebrations for the Festa della Repub- blica, on June 2nd, which were my official introduc- tion to the community and my first commemoration of t h e I t a l i a n R e p u b l i c ' s anniversary as Head of Mis- sion. This day always holds profound emotional reso- nance for us diplomats, and I approached it with a deep s e n s e o f j o y a n d a k e e n awareness of the consider- able responsibilities my role entails. It served as a plat- form for me to outline the main objectives of my term while appealing for the sup- port of the Italian commu- nity along with our Ameri- can friends and partners. N a t u r a l l y , i t w a s a l s o a m o m e n t t o c e l e b r a t e t h e essence of Made in Italy and showcase the Italian excel- l e n c e t h a t t h r i v e s i n t h i s region. Actually, on that occa- sion, you discussed the r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n I t a l y a n d t h e U S , t h e country that hosts us. How central is the col- l a b o r a t i o n w i t h l o c a l authorities in the Con- sulate's work? It is absolutely essential. B e s i d e s o f f e r i n g s e r v i c e s and assistance to the Italian community, the Consulate's m i s s i o n i s t o c r e a t e a n increasingly strong connec- tion between our two coun- tries. Just a few days ago President Meloni, also serv- ing as the G7 President-in- Office, met with President Biden in Washington. Dur- ing her visit, the centrality of the relationship between our two countries was reit- erated. We shouldn't forget how this very relationship is also based on a community o f m o r e t h a n 2 0 m i l l i o n Italian Americans across the U S , 2 m i l l i o n o f w h o m reside in the jurisdiction of t h i s C o n s u l a t e G e n e r a l alone. Today, the US is Italy's second-largest trading part- ner, with the exchange of goods and services between our two countries reaching a record $119.5 billion last year. In this context, here in Los Angeles, we play our part by nurturing cultural, s c i e n t i f i c , a n d e c o n o m i c relations between our coun- t r i e s a n d p e o p l e s w i t h a two-way approach. On one hand, we strive to familiar- ize Italy with the opportuni- ties this territory offers, par- ticularly in the entertain- ment and film sectors. In the end, we know the histo- ry of collaboration between I t a l y a n d H o l l y w o o d i s extensive and marked by success. However, as I often underline, Los Angeles is more than Hollywood. Since t h e s t a r t o f m y t e n u r e , I have worked to emphasize the dynamism and potential of Los Angeles and South- ern California in the aero- s p a c e , d e s i g n , f a s h i o n , music, and renewable ener- gy sectors. But we also want to intro- duce our American partners to Italy's most innovative aspects, to its capacity to attract investments, and to i t s e x c e l l e n c e i n s e c t o r s beyond food, fashion, and design. Let's not forget that Italy is the largest manufac- turing power in Europe and a l e a d e r i n m a c h i n e r y , electromechanical equip- ment, pharmaceutical prod- ucts, and high-technology sectors such as space and biotech. Consul General Raffaella Valentini discusses her first year in Los Angeles SILVIA NITTOLI NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS CONTINUED TO PAGE 6 Consul General Raffaella Valentini with (from left) Nicola Maccanico, CEO of Cinecittà, Giuseppe Tornatore and President of Cinecittà Chiara Sbarigia (Photo courtesy of the Consulate General of Italy, Los Angeles)

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