Story by JFC Naples Public Affairs
NAPLES, Italy – A small group of American Marshall Memorial Fellows, coordinated by the University of Rome’s Professor of Economics, Giovanni Farese, visited Allied Joint Force Command Naples, October 17, 2017.
The German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States was founded in 1972, with a gift from the then West German government to mark the 25th anniversary of the Marshall plan which was the driving force behind the reconstruction of Europe after WW2. The GMF seeks to foster cooperation and dialogue across the Atlantic, supporting research and analysis on transatlantic and global issues, convening policy and business leaders at international conferences and providing exchange opportunities for emerging American and European leaders, together with supporting initiatives to strengthen democracies.
The Marshall Memorial Fellowship is one of the most prestigious fellowships in the world and today its alumni number more than three thousand. Amongst its more prominent alumni are French President Emmanuel Macron and Federica Mogherini, Higher representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs.
The Fellows received briefings on current issues facing NATO and JFC Naples from a number of staff before concluding their visit with an office call, with Lt. Gen. Luciano Portolano, JFC Naples Chief of Staff who engaged in a wide ranging discussion.
Professor Farese said "This visit proved to be an excellent opportunity for my group of Fellows to get high level exposure to a key transatlantic organization and I’m very grateful to JFC Naples for hosting us.”
This visit was part of an ongoing activity by JFC Naples to build relationships with national and international institutions and to enhance peoples’ understanding of NATO.