The event, held on 8 May at the Italian Cultural Institute, was organised by the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Lombardy Region, the Veneto Region and the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano.
Institutional representatives and key figures from both countries gathered to share updates on the preparations for the Games, hosted by the Italian Ambassador to Sweden, Michele Pala.
The Italian delegation was composed of Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation, Marco Rago, Councillor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Giorgio Maione, Councillor for Environment and Climate of the Lombardy Region, Michela Filippi, Representative of Trentino Marketing.
The Swedish sports movement saw the participation of Hans von Uthmann, President of the Swedish Olympic Committee, Åsa Llinares Norlin, President of the Swedish Paralympic Committee, and Jessica Lindell Vikarby, Project Manager of the Swedish Paralympic Committee and former alpine skier.
Welcoming the guests present was Ambassador Michele Pala, who said after greeting them: "We are extremely pleased with the interest we are gathering in Sweden with respect to the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics. What has been put in place is a choral promotion effort of Sistena 'Italy starting from the Government and the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation, passing through all the territorial bodies involved. The next Games will be the perfect opportunity to let the world know about the beauty of our territories and the excellence in the field of sport of our athletes and our infrastructure for winter sports and tourism . Our wish is to see our two flags flying together on the podium as often as possible'.
This was followed by the intervention of Councillor Marco Rago who brought a message on behalf of Council Vice President Antonio Tajani aimed at underlining the importance of sports diplomacy as an integral part of the broader strategy of growth diplomacy, stressing that:
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has launched a structured line of action focused on sports diplomacy, with the aim of promoting sport as a tool to project Italy's image abroad. In 2026, the eyes of the world will be on Italy, and the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be an extraordinary showcase to let everyone see our cultural, technological and environmental excellence, as well as a means to strengthen cooperation and dialogue with other countries'.
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