Two women are engaged in a new dialogue to add substance to relations between Italy and Iran.
The “Italy and Iran: A cooperation model” conference was hosted at the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome on Wednesday.
Organized by Daniela Sbrollini, the newly-elected president of the Italy-Iran Parliamentary Friendship Group, it was attended by Fatemeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, president of the Iranian Charity Foundation for Special Diseases (CSFFD). Iran’s Ambassador to Rome Jahanbakhsh Mozaffari also participated in the meeting.
“Women often think of new kinds of projects, which help promote dialogue,” Daniela Sbrolllini told the Italian News Agency AGI. “And we want to start from issues concerning society, welfare, and health.”
Opening the conference, Sbrolllini said, “This is a moment of synergy between two great countries and it follows the meetings held between Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.”
She emphasized the role dialogue can play in “helping us understand Iran’s new forays to the outside world after the lifting of sanctions.”
Hashmi wished for “a new era of cooperation that could be conducive to the establishment of closer relations.”
Speaking of her work at the foundation, she said, “Our main obligation lies in the field of prevention, also at the neonatal and pediatric level. Italy is very advanced in the field. We attach great relevance to knowledge and information, as well as to universal access to treatment.” Fatemeh Hashemi is the daughter of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Ettore Rosato, Democratic Party (PD) leader at the Italian Chamber of Deputies, pointed out that the agreements signed “is proof of a continuous cooperation between our countries, which is now more intense than ever.”
Iran is an important partner for Italy for cultural and geopolitical reasons. “It is a leading country in a most important political area which is often unstable. Italy and Iran have always enjoyed very fruitful relations. Iran as a strong partner of world powers can contribute to stability. Our dialogue also implies economic relations and favors mutual growth. Being among friends, we can say that we expect progress in the field of civil liberties. The true challenge is getting to know each other. Cooperation with Iran can benefit peace in the whole area,” he said.
Society, Culture and Cooperation
“We are determined to focus on society, culture and cooperation, starting from welfare, with a view to lay the groundwork for a new dialogue,” Sbrolllini had earlier told AGI after pointing out that congressmen and senators from all Italian parties had joined the Italy-Iran Parliamentary Friendship Group.
The group is committed to working on social issues, focusing on mutual understanding, “to create a real synergy and do away with fences and biases towards a country we still know little about, but where cultural and economic relations can improve.”
“This is a country with an extraordinary culture, which has chosen us to be one of its ideal partners,” she explained, “and this allows us to understand how other countries are performing to promote innovation, technology and projects.”
The purpose of the conference, she underlined, “is to establish relations with a world we know little - a very beautiful Islamic country that is still suffering from some biases.
Around 105 representatives of associations, companies, universities and research institutions attended the conference.
