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The ambassador visits Wales

Ambassador Raffaele Trombetta took part in a busy programme of meetings and events during a visit to Wales from 9 to 11 February 2019, in which various UK-based Italian bodies were also involved, including the Italian Trade Agency, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UK, and Trenitalia UK and Tratos, both of which were interested in the economic opportunities offered by Wales.

On the evening of Saturday 9 the Ambassador attended the Welsh National Orchestra’s premier of Un Ballo in Maschera at the Millennium Centre, as patron. The performance, part of the orchestra’s Verdi season, was also attended by the Prince of Wales.

On the morning of Monday 11 he visited SEDA UK in Blackwood, part of the Italian SEDA group, an international leader in the sector of ice-cream and food-service packaging. The UK branch, which opened in 2005, is an important industrial presence in the region, currently employing approximately 400 people.

On Tuesday 12 the Ambassador met with Professor Mark Drakeford AM, the Welsh first minister; Baroness Eluned Morgan AM, the minister for international relations and the Welsh language; and Ann Jones AM, the deputy presiding officer of the Welsh National Assembly. Baroness Morgan also hosted a lunch attended by the representatives of Italian businesses involved in the visit.

The Ambassador then visited the exhibition Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing at the National Museum in Cardiff. The exhibition is part of the national commemorations of the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death, with some 144 drawings on display in 12 museums around the UK. (#Leonardo500)

In the afternoon of the 12th the Ambassador met members of the Italian community in Wales at the Craft In The Bay gallery. The meeting offered an opportunity for reflection and dialogue on issues of particular interest for Italians living in the UK as the country prepares to leave the EU.

The visit ended with a speech by the Ambassador at the Wales Governance Centre. The speech, introduced by Ann Jones, the deputy presiding officer of the Assembly, focused on Italy and Brexit and was followed by a lively question-and-answer session.

The visit to Wales was part of the Embassy of Italy’s wider strategy, which entails institutional visits involving various actors belonging to the sistema Italia, especially those operating in the economic sector, such as the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Chamber of Commerce, and meetings with Italian companies based around the UK, as well as aiming to strengthen Italian institutions by facilitating contacts with their British counterparts.

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