Pelosi Remarks Before Meeting with Gianfranco Fini, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a press availability with President Gianfranco Fini of the Italian Chamber of Deputies before their meeting in the Capitol today. Below are their remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Good afternoon. It is indeed an official as well as a personal pleasure for me to welcome President Fini to the U.S. Capitol today. One year ago, in February of last year, a congressional delegation was welcomed by President Fini to Italy. At that time, he gave me something very special and very personal—a baptismal certificate of my grandfather who was born in Abruzzo. Little did we know that by September when I returned to Italy, when President Fini was presiding over the G-8 heads of Parliament meeting, that on that occasion he would invite me to Abruzzo to see the recovery efforts following the earthquake there. It was an emotional experience, but in both cases provided an opportunity for me to see President Fini as he welcomed our delegation in February and the G-8 leadership in September. To see his leadership, his commitment to human rights, to strong fundamental values as the basis for our relationships and our governments.

Italy has no better friend and the United States has no better friend in NATO than Italy. When we visit there, we visit Aviano and Vincenzo, and we visit Naples and all of the installations there. We also visit Americans who are buried near Florence. Again, a bond between our countries.

But we have millions of bonds. In fact, probably over 20 million bonds of Americans of Italian-American descent, who take great pride in their heritage as they love America very much. Everyone who came here has made America more American and stronger.

And so it is a personal pleasure and privilege to welcome President Fini with great admiration for his leadership, with great gratitude for his friendship, and for making the bond stronger between Italy and America. We are working together, whether it is to resolve global issues—the economy, fighting terrorism, global climate change, you name it.

I particularly want to express the gratitude of the American people to Italy for the role that Italians are playing in Afghanistan. We look forward to hearing from the President in our meeting today with our bipartisan leadership. Last night, we had the privilege of receiving, as a gift from President Fini and the Chamber of Deputies and the people of Italy, a magnificent book—probably the most beautiful book ever constructed—Michelangelo's wise book, La Dotta Mano. And it is now at the Library of Congress in very good company in the Jefferson Library to be viewed by any visitor who comes with a library card.

So again, we have many connections between our two great countries. They revolve around the security of our people, respect for our cultures, and the promise of our future. With that and with great admiration and respect, it is my pleasure to welcome President Fini to the Capitol of the United States.

President Fini. Let me thank Speaker Pelosi once again, for the wonderful welcome and for her very kind words.

The very fact that a woman — in whose veins there runs blood of Italian ancestors and that this woman is now the Speaker of the U.S. House of Congress — shows how ancient, how strong the bonds between our two peoples are. And on this great American continent, I think that this great American continent has taught us and is teaching us something very important. And this is a lesson for the entire world — concerning such issues as immigration, respect for human rights — of people who have traveled far, far away from their homes in order to find work and find a better future — they've got to integrate and respect them. And this is shown in an exemplary way by someone who has reached the highest levels in administration, the highest echelons in administration as Speaker Pelosi has done.

But our relationship does not only build upon our past traditions. It has to be nourished every day. Nourished by a shared commitment — a commitment in a number of international scenarios. To defend the fundamental rights that are the shared heritage of the West of the whole: the rights of the human person. And wherever these rights are being trampled upon, there, the U.S. and Italy have to work side-by-side.

Speaker Pelosi. If I may, Mr. President, I want to say, again, what an honor it is to welcome you here and to show you in our Rotunda, the great work of Constantino Brumidi, the artist of Italian origin who came to America. He painted the ceiling of the Capitol of the Rotunda: the Apotheosis of Washington.

We gave the President a plate with this on it last night and we're so happy that today he can see it in the original. So, the Italian influence — not only the first Italian-American Speaker of the House, but in the great traditions of this Capitol —are well represented here.

Thank you Mr. President. Thank you all.

SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House