In these days, in Rome, the First International Conference of Italian Languages, an institutional event that marked the launch of the Comunità dell'Italofonia, a permanent forum dedicated to the promotion and valorization of the Italian language and the communities that identify with it.

The initiative, promoted by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in collaboration with the Dante Alighieri Society, represents an important step in the global strengthening of the Italian language and culture.

Minister Tajani opened the meeting by emphasizing how the Italian language represents an element of unity, dialogue, and progress, and defined the Italian-speaking community as an instrument of peace and international cooperation.

The Community, in fact, aims to be a platform for dialogue and cultural, scientific, and academic exchange aimed at supporting a shared vision of international relations.

The event was attended by delegations from 19 countries, Italian and foreign institutional representatives, and international organizations promoting multilingualism. In addition to Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in Bern, guests included some of the most authoritative Italian-speaking opinion leaders, including: the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola (via video message); the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi; the Italian Minister of Universities and Research, Anna Maria Bernini; and the UN Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, winner of eleven Formula One world championships during his career as team principal of Scuderia Ferrari. The Rome meeting was also attended by numerous delegations from countries with a significant Italian cultural presence, such as Slovenia, Romania, Kosovo, and Somalia.

The event featured three roundtable discussions dedicated to Italofonia: as a community of values ​​and dialogue; as a driver of economic growth; and as a tool for cultural diplomacy. Artists, academics, and public figures also participated, contributing their expertise to the discussion.

The most recent data shows that Italian is the seventh most studied language in the world, with approximately 2 million students spread across over 130 countries, through Italian or local schools, foreign universities and courses at the Italian Cultural Institutes and the Dante Alighieri Society.

In 2024, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs allocated over 2,8 million euros to support Italian language teaching positions in approximately 70 countries, demonstrating Rome's institutional commitment to the development of the Italian language globally.

Also noteworthy was Switzerland's participation, represented by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, who underlined the intense cultural relationship between the neighboring Republic and the Confederation, founded on shared values.

It is important to remember that this cooperation between the two countries extends to joint initiatives such as the management of the Palazzo Trevisan degli Ulivi in ​​Venice, home to the Swiss Consulate, and the promotion of international cultural events through Pro Helvetia.

Furthermore, Italy and Switzerland will soon also collaborate on the events of the next Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.

During his remarks, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis addressed, among other topics, relations with the European Union and recalled Switzerland's commitment to security and stability in Europe, strengthened by its chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2026.

Furthermore, the Ticino head of the FDFA emphasized the importance of cultural diversity, citing the example of a minority but shared Italian-Swiss cultural proximity between the two nations, represented by Emna da la lingua rumantscha, the week dedicated to the Romansh language created and promoted by the FDFA in collaboration with the Canton of Graubünden and Lia Rumantscha. "Caring for our languages ​​and cultures, even the smallest ones, means building partnerships based on dialogue, respect, and inclusion. It is an investment in cohesion and stability in Europe," Federal Councillor Cassis emphasized.

It is also in this context of diversified cultural promotion that Federal Councillor Cassis continued his foreign travels. Immediately after his stop in Rome for the International Conference on the Italophonie, he traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, where he also attended the 46th session of the Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie.

The first International Conference of Italofonia held in Rome launched a new era of shared promotion of the Italian language and its cultural traditions around the world, and promoted the Italofonia Community as a global reference point for international dialogue and cooperation in the cultural, scientific, and academic fields.

For the image:
Credit Ansa-MAECI