(March 28, 2017) Consolidating the name and image of the Italian system in Japan: this is the northern star indicated by the new Italian ambassador to the country of the Rising Sun, Giorgio Starace, who today presented at the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Shinsuke Sugiyama copy of his credential letter. In a post published on the facebook page of the Embassy, Starace stated he’s taking office "in a very positive moment in relations between Italy and Japan. Last year we celebrated the first 150 years of diplomatic relations, but our ties are much older and growing stronger by the day". The newly appointed Ambassador points out that "the love of Japanese friends for made in Italy – a brand with few equals in the world - is testified every day from their consumer choices. The passion of this audience for our culture is just as rooted: exhibitions and concerts of Italian artists are always very successful as well as collaborations in science and technological innovation. Our institutional relationships are intense and fruitful, most recently Prime Minister Gentiloni met with Prime Minister Abe in Rome during his European tour, and Japan confirms to be an International strategic and important partner". Ambassador Starace has a clear view about the goals of his work: "We can do so much more together, to affirm Italy's image in Japan. With the strength and the joint efforts of the whole Italian system we can seize and make the most of every opportunity to affirm - even more - the name of Italy. I hope that in the years to come I can count on the whole community, to promote the value of our great country. If we use our system, if we are united, nobody could stop us". Among the first official engagements of the new ambassador, the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and inauguration of the exhibition "Ever Closer Europe" with the EU Ambassador Viorel Isticioaia Budura, the Finnish Secretary of State Anne Sipiläinen and on. Masazumi Gotoda, president of the League of EU-Japan Parliamentary Friendship. (Red)

ABOUT / GIORGIO STARACE

Giorgio Starace was born in Viterbo on February 23, 1959. After graduating from the Military Academy "Nunziatella" of Naples, he graduated in 1982 in Economics at Bocconi University in Milan. Enter the Foreign Service in 1985 and began his professional career at the Foreign Ministry at the Directorate General for Economic Affairs. In 1988 he was assigned to Guatemala as a commercial secretary and then he took service in Beijing as First Secretary. He returned to the Ministry in 1995, working at first with the Directorate General for Economic Affairs, and later, he was appointed Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture for International Affairs. In 1999 he was First Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN in New York, a position he held until 2002 when he moved to New Delhi to fill the same role at the Embassy. Back in Rome in 2006, he served again as Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture. In 2008 he was promoted to Minister Plenipotentiary. In 2010 he was appointed Ambassador to Abu Dhabi where, since February 2014, is also accredited to the International Agency for Renewable Energy. He returned to Rome at the Directorate General for Political Affairs and Security, in 2015 he was appointed Special Envoy in Libya for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. In 2016 he was awarded the title of Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.