In an increasingly interconnected world, city diplomacy empowers local governments to collaborate across borders, improve citizens’ quality of life, boost local economic development, and strengthen resilience to global crises—from climate change to pandemics. More than a soft-power tool, city diplomacy equips municipalities to move from being passive recipients of international shocks to active agents of sustainable urban development.
However, recent geopolitical tensions are challenging the foundations of this practice. In a climate of growing global polarization, authoritarian regimes have begun exploiting city-to-city ties for geopolitical interference and illicit acquisition of intellectual property. As highlighted in a recent City Diplomacy Lab policy brief on city diplomacy risk, even long-standing twinning arrangements can become vectors of hostile foreign policy.
In this context, it is crucial for democratic countries to reinforce the national frameworks that guide, support, and coordinate city-level international action. With a strong tradition in this field, Italy is well-positioned to lead this strategic evolution. The goal: to ensure city diplomacy serves local development and international cooperation.
To this end, the City Diplomacy Lab, in partnership with the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI), the Italian Association of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (AICCRE), the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), PLATFORMA, Eurocities, and the Global Parliament of Mayors, is convening the event “City Diplomacy. The Strategic Role of Cities in International Relations” on September 15, 2025, at the Chamber of Deputies in Rome. The event, hosted by MP Lia Quartapelle and featuring the participation of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, will launch a national conversation on how Italy can spearhead a renewed and secure model of city diplomacy.
Together with its twin event at the French Senate on 8 September, this initiative marks the first step in a broader international process led by the City Diplomacy Lab and its partners, with upcoming milestones at the European Parliament and within the Urban 7 framework.
Draft Agenda
10:00–10:20 – Institutional Opening
- Hon. Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
- Hon. Lia Quartapelle, Vice President, Foreign Affairs Committee, Chamber of Deputies
10:20–10:30 – International Strategic Insights
- Dr. Paola Deda, Director, Forests, Land and Housing Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
- Ms. Claudia Luciani, Director, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
- Amb. Nina Hachigian (ret.), Former First U.S. Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy
10:30–10:40 – Presentation of the City Diplomacy Lab Policy Brief “Cities at a Crossroads”
- Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Director, City Diplomacy Lab; Lecturer at Columbia University, Sciences Po, and École Polytechnique
- Prof. Cecilia Emma Sottilotta, Associate Researcher, City Diplomacy Lab; Assistant Professor, University for Foreigners of Perugia
10:40–11:40 – Roundtable of Italian Mayors (listed alphabetically by city)
- Prof. Alessandro Ghinelli, Mayor of Arezzo
- Ms. Anna Lisa Boni, Deputy Mayor for International Relations and Cooperation, City of Bologna
- Mr. Antonfrancesco Vivarelli Colonna, Mayor of Grosseto
- Prof. Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of Turin; Vice President of ANCI for EU and International Affairs
11:40–12:20 – Audience Q&A
12:20–12:30 – Closing Remarks
Moderator: Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, City Diplomacy Lab