Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – On June 18, the Italian ambassador to Mexico, Alessandro Modiano, and Captain Giuseppe Lai, commander of the Italian navy training ship Amerigo Vespucci, visited the municipal palace of Puerto Vallarta. They were welcomed by interim mayor José Francisco Martínez Gil. During the visit, they proposed establishing a Sister Cities partnership between Puerto Vallarta and a city in Italy.
The visit included Colonel Andrea Intermite, Italian military attaché in Mexico, a diplomatic delegation, representatives from the state government, and the Administration of the National Port System (ASIPONA) Puerto Vallarta. Mayor Martínez Gil expressed that this visit could mark the beginning of a strong relationship between Puerto Vallarta and Italy.
Ambassador Modiano agreed that this could be a good starting point to strengthen ties and proposed working on the twinning of Puerto Vallarta with an Italian coastal city. Mayor Martínez Gil welcomed this idea, stating it would be a historic development for the city.
Captain Lai thanked the municipality for the warm reception the ship and its crew received, noting that this was the first time the Amerigo Vespucci had visited Puerto Vallarta. He mentioned that the Amerigo Vespucci’s global journey would conclude on February 26, 2025.
During the visit, the mayor presented gifts and souvenirs from Puerto Vallarta to the ambassador, the captain, and the military attaché. In return, Captain Lai gave the mayor a book about the history of the Amerigo Vespucci. The visitors also toured the city’s boardwalk at the invitation of the Vallarta municipality.