The Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, met with representatives of the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit (Asilm) and a group of recipients of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, meeting for the first time in the US capital at her residence in Villa Firenze, Washington.
"We wanted to put the members of Asilm in contact with the other decorators of the Italian Republic who live and work in the United States," said the ambassador, who added that "the embassy wants to encourage the development of contacts and synergies between people who are honoured by the Italian Republic because they have played and continue to play a very important role for Italy in the United States, which is to help develop and strengthen relations between our countries. Zappia emphasised how the strong ties between Italy and the United States are nurtured first and foremost by the connections between Italians, Italo-Americans, and Americans connected to Italy: 'each of you, with your experience and history, plays an important role, which should not be underestimated. Each of you contributes, in your own small way, to promoting Italy: from culture, to language, to economy, to science. The future of our bilateral relations also depends on your contribution.'
Asilm is a US association that brings together, on a national level, individuals who have been decorated by the Italian Republic. The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Omri), the first of the national orders, recognises special merits in the fields of literature, the arts, economics and in the performance of public offices and activities for social, philanthropic and humanitarian purposes, as well as for service in civil and military careers.
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