Transcript of Pelosi Remarks at Photo Opportunity with The Honorable Roberto Fico, President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Italy  

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Rome – Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a photo opportunity today with The Honorable Roberto Fico, President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Italy, ahead of a bilateral meeting. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for your hospitality and the information that you're providing, so that we're all current as to what is happening in Europe vis-à-vis the Ukraine crisis. I salute you for your commitment to peace and to diplomacy and how we can stop, stop the fighting. It is important, though, to negotiate from strength. And I salute Italy for its role in the EU and NATO. The unity that is displayed there is a source of great strength in this discussion as we go forward.

It has been my honor to work with President Fico over the years, we began talking about climate in Brest, France a number of years ago, then on to the U.K. to talk about climate again, but also the importance of parliaments in our development of global policies. And then here at the G20 meeting last year, before you came to Washington, D.C. – very important pre-COP26 meeting. The – and then, into our conversations in D.C. But as you have said – and since then, the world has changed.

To all of those discussions, you have brought in the values of Italy: the fresh approach to peace, and again, settling the climate crisis, which is essential in every way as a health issue, as an economic issue, as a security issue and a responsibility to young people, which I know is part of your mission. We have worked together, again, since then: intensifying our relationship with the – against the situation in Ukraine, continuing the relationship on the basis of COVID, which has been disruptive to say the least, and had an impact on our economies. And again, on how we go into the – how we proceed and plan to go into the future.

I believe the interparliamentary relations are essential to it. I believe, in terms of reducing the violence, diplomacy is essential to that. So your words about peace are, of course, well-founded and must be our purpose. I also appreciate knowledge and the experience that Italy brings to the other challenges that we face including in Africa, from the Horn of Africa – excuse me, before I go into the other places.

My apologies for not stopping sooner. I was so taken up by praising the President for his great leadership for the next generation, the future. As I was mentioning the Speaker – Mr. President has been always very forceful in educating the rest of us about challenges that spring from North Africa, the Horn of Africa and the rest, and the superior knowledge that Italy has by dint of geography, experience and the rest in the region.

We are blessed in our country with many people from the region as well. Some of the migration has come to our country, and I think it would be interesting to Mr. President to know that, when I visit Somalian, Ethiopian and other – not refugees, just people in our country – the first question they asked me is, ‘Do you speak Italian?'

Nonetheless, there is a recognition that in Italy, knowledge is important to us. And it's – some of these challenges have been ongoing for a long time, and we really need to be addressing them in the best possible way, with the most current information.

So I appreciate President Fico's briefing on that subject. And I'm sure we'll have more to talk about as we go forward.

But our relationship with Italy has always been a strong one, historically. Named for – discovered by an Italian, named for an Italian, Italian-Americans building our country, a bridge to this country that we're very, very proud of. I'm very proud that our President takes great pride in the U.S.-Italy relationship. His wife being of Italian-American origin has helped that, but nonetheless, it's about our two countries writ large as well.

So there's a good – always an honor to be here with the leadership of the Italian government with President Fico once again. Time and time again, I've had the benefit of his thinking on subjects, and I'm grateful for that. I met with President Mattarella one day before yesterday, and we had the pleasure of – the privilege of observing the feast of Saint Peter and Paul yesterday at the Vatican as well.

To again – consistent, important relationship, as we know. We are grateful to you for the hospitality you've extended to the 30,000 men and women in uniform and their families that are here in our mutual security and in our negotiations. It's all about how we work together with great respect.

I take great pride in being the first Italian-American Speaker of the House. So it is a privilege to be here officially. It is also a personal joy for me to be here as well. Thank you.

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