The Nation’s Capital is awaiting the arrival of Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi who will be President Obama’s guest at the White House on October 18, 2016. The White House said that “Prime Minister Renzi’s visit will be an opportunity to celebrate the depth and breadth of our relationship with Italy and exchange views on the future of Europe. Italy is one of our closest and strongest allies, and we cooperate across a range of shared interests, from addressing climate change and the global refugee crisis to promoting global security and inclusive economic growth.”
The President and Mrs. Obama will host Prime Minister Renzi and his wife, Mrs. Agnese Landini, for a State Dinner on the evening of October 18. This is likely, the last state dinner of President Obama. For this occasion, celebrity chef Mario Batali, has be assisting the White House chefs in preparing the state dinner, and Italian American singer Gwen Stefani will be giving a musical performance.
Prior to his departure from Italy, Renzi spoke in Florence on the occasion of the beginning of the 16th Annual World Italian Language Week, October 17-23. The theme for his this year is “Italian and Creativity: brands and costumes, fashion and design.” In his remarks Renzi stressed that if we want Italian to be studied abroad, we can’t just promote the study of literature, but we must also promote film, music and art . “Serve una cornice che tenga insieme le grandi aziende, le grandi realtà cinematografiche e la cultura in generale. Il governo c’è, ma tocca a ciascuno di noi fare qualcosa: il mondo ha bisogno di bellezza e chiama l’Italia. Per questo chiedo un aiuto a tutti. La globalizzazione non è un pericolo, è la più grande opportunità che noi abbiamo,” he said.
During World Language Week, the Italian Cultural Institute in Washington DC will present a conference on “Italian Fashion: Couture and the Power of the Veil,” with the participation of Enrica Ponzellini, Editor in Chief, Vogue Sposa, Max Botticelli, Fashion Photographer, and Alison Miller, Creative Director, Monvieve. (White House photo by Andreas Sandre)
