Consul General of Italy in Kolkata Gianluca Rubagotti said on Sunday that initiatives were being made to promote common interests as part of the twinning agreement between Napoli and the West Bengal capital.
The diplomat, talking to PTI on the sidelines of a puppet show supported by the Consul General Italy's office here, said art, culture and food were some of the areas where the two countries can strengthen their bond.
“A twinning agreement was signed more than a decade ago. However, after the initial steps, the project got somehow frozen. The idea is to put the project in motion again, focusing on points of common interest such as art, culture, food and football.”
“We have always tried to design cultural collaborations between the two countries, and we will continue to do so, in different fields,” Rubagotti added.
Asked what prompted the Consulate general of Italy to extend support to the puppet show, based on the ‘Adventures of ‘Pinocchio’, he said, “Since the two countries share love for traditional forms of art, we were confident the show would be well received. We were not disappointed. Kolkata is one of the most receptive places for such kinds of events.”
Apart from Rubagotti, Rashbehari MLA Debashis Kumar was present at the show performed by The Dolls Theatre.
Somnath Pyne, one of the organisers of the Kolkata event, said, “This is an attempt to strengthen ties between the cities of Naples and Kolkata.”
