“The government is engaged in a comprehensive effort to promote peace, stability, and sustainable development. We believe that cultural diplomacy is a key lever to achieve our foreign policy goals. With the agreements signed today, the Ministry of Culture is making its expertise and human resources available to implement, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, international cooperation initiatives in the cultural field for the benefit of our partners, from Ukraine to Africa.”
With these words, Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli commented on the signing ceremony of the Agreement between the Central Institute for Restoration (ICR) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), which he attended today at Collegio Romano alongside Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, who stated: “The agreement between AICS and ICR is fully aligned with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ development cooperation strategy, which aims to engage the excellence of the Italian public system. This collaboration will be essential for initiatives such as the one in favor of Odesa, for which a €3 million contribution was recently approved, and for the creation of the Restoration Center in Tunisia. I also welcome the signing of the agreement between the Ministry of Culture and ICCROM, to which Italian Cooperation has allocated €6 million for a regional project to enhance cultural heritage conservation capacities in Africa.”
“The signing of the framework agreement with ICR, a longstanding partner of Italian Cooperation, establishes a strategic partnership that highlights the excellence of the Italian system in development cooperation initiatives. This alliance strengthens our joint commitment to high-level interventions in the cultural heritage sector, combining restoration with training, making it a driver of economic and social development for the benefit of the communities and territories that host this heritage,” emphasized AICS Director Marco Riccardo Rusconi.
The agreement between ICR and AICS marks a significant milestone in recognizing Italy’s unrivaled expertise in restoration as a cornerstone of cultural cooperation and development. In this regard, ICR Director Luigi Oliva noted: “Since its establishment, the Central Institute for Restoration has been the most prestigious reference institution for research and training in the field of cultural heritage conservation in Italy and worldwide.“
