The United States – Italy: Transatlantic Cooperation and Challenges, Rome, June 20, 2008

“The United States – Italy: Transatlantic Cooperation and Challenges”

NIAF Roman Roundtable at Villa Taverna

Villa Taverna, Rome, June 20, 2008

Hosted by Ambassador Ronald Spogli at Villa Taverna, this year’s NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) Roman Roundtable is held in cooperation with the Fulbright Commission’s 60th Anniversary distinguished lecture series. The conference brought together internationally known experts who discussed the challenges faced by the United States and Italy and cooperation strategies for today’s world.

The round table was moderated by Dr. Kenneth Ciongoli, NIAF’s President. Ambassador Spogli, Senator Marcello Pera, former President of the Italian Senate and Hon. Antonio Martino, addressed the audience during a session on “The United States – Italy: Transatlantic Cooperation and Challenges.”

The US and Italy in Today's World, June 20, 2008

[…] A well-known alliteration claims that in democracy demography is destiny. According to demographers a nation is moribund when the fertility rate is 1.5 or less. If that’s the case, 30 European nations are moribund. In a list of 226 countries Italy ranks 212 th with a fertility rate of 1.28. Furthermore, according to a paper circulated at the time of a UN sponsored conference on ageing in April 2002 in Madrid, Italy has the dubious privilege of having the highest percentage of people over sixty on total population

Ambassador Ronald Spogli’s Remarks at the NIAF Roundtable on “The United States – Italy: Transatlantic Cooperation and Challenges”, June 20, 2008

[…] Thank you Ken, good morning to all of you, and welcome to Villa Taverna. I am delighted to host and participate in this morning's conference, sponsored by two of the organizations which have done most to strengthen friendship and cooperation between Italy and the United States over the past several decades: the National Italian American Foundation and the U.S.-Italy Fulbright Commission.

Trans-Atlantic Relationships. A Cultural View, June 20, 2008

[…] As I do agree with what Ambassador Spogli has just said, I will not discuss the trans-Atlantic relationships from a political, military and technical point of view. Rather I will touch upon the very concept of the trans-Atlantic relationships. My question is: what are these relationships based on? What are they for? Precisely what goal do they pursue?