Presidential Prize Promotes Italian-german Town Twinning

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From our correspondent- Partnerships and collaborative networks between countries and local governments demonstrate all the benefits of opening up to the world. For this reason, they must be implemented and promoted. This is the meaning of the Presidential Prize, the award desired by the President of the Republic and by the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The aim is to promote and strengthen town twinning between Italian and German communities, especially in the areas of youth and generational dialog, civic engagement, Europe and culture of remembrance, sustainability and social cohesion. The awards were presented today at Bellevue Palace in Berlin in the presence of the two heads of state.

“The award,” emphasized President Mattarella, “strengthens the role of municipalities and encourages local governments to continually build new relationships with other countries, thus developing a real network of local diplomacy.” Town twinning, cooperation networks, cultural exchange and joint projects between German and Italian municipalities “enable better mutual understanding and promote cooperation and trust.” This award, he emphasized, “is very close to my heart. It stands for the friendship between our two countries and in particular for the many people in Italy and Germany who have maintained, promoted, strengthened and deepened this friendship over the past decades through their commitment to the town twinning program.”

In this sense, according to the German President, the winning projects “build bridges between our countries and strengthen our united Europe. They bring together young Italians and Germans to care for and preserve monuments and cultural heritage, thereby initiating a dialogue about our common history and raising awareness of the need to actively work to protect and defend peace and freedom.” In this edition of the biennial prize, Bologna (Emilia-Romagna) and