Walter Ferrara, the new Consul General of Italy in Mumbai, has just completed a visit to the state of Kerala, for which he is responsible. The visit was the first in over 20 years by an Italian Consul General in the southern state.
During the mission, the Consul was received by the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, who welcomed him with these words: 'With your visit we open a new page in relations with Italy.
During his visit to the cities of Thiruvananthapuram and the capital, Kochi, the Consul met with various other authorities, including the Chief Secretary, Srimati Sarada Muraleedharan, and the Director General of Police, Shaik Darvesh Saheb. In addition to them, Ferrara held talks with the head of the port, Kasiviswanathan, and the city's Bishop, Monsignor Kariyil, in light of the strong presence of the Catholic community in the state and in view of the upcoming Jubilee in Rome.
The mission allowed the Consul to visit some of the Italian businesses present in the Technopark, the high-tech hub of the Kerala capital, and to meet the small but lively Italian community. Finally, a significant stop was at the AC Milan Academy in Ernakulam, where the Consul was feted by the youngsters taking part in the Italian club's project, which promotes youth football and offers an opportunity for meeting and integration.
"Kerala presents important opportunities, as yet unexplored, to strengthen Italian-Indian collaboration in the economic and commercial field. The presence of a very substantial and integrated Catholic community offers an ideal bridge to foster contacts and start new collaborations," said Consul Ferrara at the end of the mission.
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