La Stampa USA is an important project, and I am delighted to see it come to fruition. When I was in New York a few weeks ago, I saw firsthand the interest and affection that so many Americans — not just those of Italian descent — feel for Italy and Rome.

That is why the decision to launch a new news platform for American readers, offering coverage of events in Italy, is so welcomed.

I would like to thank everyone who helped bring this idea to life: Alberto Leonardis, Antonio Di Rosa and Luciano Tancredi; Maurizio Molinari; and, of course, the entire editorial team responsible for making this newspaper a reality.

There will be plenty to report on. During my visit to New York, I met with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and many other mayors from around the world. Now more than ever, we need to build bridges and create new opportunities for dialogue as we confront the major global challenges of our time. We must strengthen ties between our cultures and foster dialogue among universities, businesses, the research community and institutions.

In this effort, Italians in the United States can once again play a valuable role, particularly the many young talents who come to America to study, conduct research or start a business. We want to maintain our ties with these talented people and create new opportunities for collaboration with Rome and Italy.

This is another reason why I welcome the launch of La Stampa USA: a newspaper that informs American readers about Italy and gives Italians in the United States a voice.