President Meloni’s speech at the official presentation of the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup trophies

Good afternoon everyone, thank you for being here.

I am proud and honoured to welcome the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand to Rome today, as well as the America’s Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup trophies, both of which are global symbols of sporting passion and innovation excellence. My thanks and greetings of course go to CEO Grant Dalton, Team Principal Matteo de Nora and all authorities present, in particular the Minister for Sport and the Minister of Economy and Finance, as well as the Minister of Defence, Minister of Health and Minister for the Family. I also wish to greet and thank Mayor of Naples Manfredi and the President and CEO of Sport e Salute S.p.A., as well as all the other authorities in attendance.

I would also like to thank all those who have worked over these months with the vision, determination and concreteness we are known for, making what is happening today possible and enabling Italy to win such a high-level bid with other nations.

Today, we are celebrating the America’s Cup coming to Italy for the first time in its history – the oldest, most famous and most prestigious sailing trophy in the world. This global event involves millions of enthusiasts worldwide and represents a unique and extraordinary blend of tradition and future, of cutting-edge engineering and competitive spirit. I believe this should make all Italians proud, as it is also a tribute to and recognition of a key part of this nation’s identity.

Without the sea, we simply would not be what we are. For us, the sea is history, culture and identity; it is the blue line that shapes the contours of our land, making it unique; it is a border but also a horizon; it protects and challenges us, continuously stimulating us to look beyond and push ourselves beyond our limits; for us, it is obviously also a key part of our economic system and production capacity.

We should remember that Italy boasts a position of leadership in the boating, shipbuilding, shipowning and cruise industries as well as in many other areas linked to the blue economy. It was not by chance that this Government appointed a Minister dedicated to the sea for the first time ever.

However, holding the America’s Cup in Italy, and in the South, I believe also has another meaning. It also means betting once again on the merits, energy and potential of a wonderful territory that, since day one, this Government has put back at the heart of its development policies for the entire nation: I believe, I am certain, that this event will help strengthen the leading role being played by the South of Italy that is now clear to everyone. Over these years, the South has been able to rediscover its dynamism and pride, recording GDP growth and employment levels above the national average. In other words, it is no longer lagging behind but is rather becoming the driving force of Italy’s development: dynamic, ambitious, attractive for investments.

And then in Naples, Mr Mayor, which has already been celebrating its sporting successes over the last few days. I would like to take this opportunity to also offer my congratulations for winning the league.

Organising the America’s Cup in Naples of course means many things and will allow us, as Mayor Manfredi well knows, to speed up the substantial redevelopment and regeneration plan we have launched together to transform the Bagnoli area into a modern tourism, seaside and commercial hub. This is much more than just a simple urban development project: it is a new development model integrating the environment, culture and opportunities.

It is therefore clear that the arrival of the America’s Cup is a great opportunity for this nation and an opportunity that we want to involve the entire nation. We want this opportunity to leave a long-term, profound and lasting mark on our nation, and so we obviously have many initiatives in mind around the event itself. Among these, we want to also involve our education and training system, bringing sailing into schools and integrating it with the teaching of science and technology subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), thereby also combining scientific education with sporting experience.

In short, what we are taking on today is a sporting, educational, economic and social challenge all rolled into one, and we will embrace it like Italians. We will take on this challenge with pride, determination and team spirit, as it was our team spirit that allowed us to win this bid and it is precisely with the same team spirit that we will turn this opportunity into a success and an unforgettable experience for everyone participating in and following the America’s Cup.

We cannot wait to welcome the event and to be left breathless by the extraordinary show of sport, beauty, passion and technology put on by the teams, in a location that is the envy of the world: the Gulf of Naples, in the body of water between Castel dell’Ovo and Posillipo, under the gaze of Vesuvius.

We obviously cannot wait to follow the sailors’ feats, and to cheer on (I hope Grant and the New Zealand team won’t hold it against me) Luna Rossa, because we are Italians and this is an absolute sporting and technological gem, which just a few days ago crossed paths in the sea off Sardinia with another Italian legend: the Amerigo Vespucci. The world’s most beautiful training ship once again sailed alongside Italy’s favourite racing yacht, with the past and the future coming together yet again, united by the sea and what the sea represents for this nation.

So I shall close by saying welcome, America’s Cup. I can assure you that Italy will more than live up to this challenge. Grant, Italy will prove that it was worth it. My sincere thanks.