00:00Dear Mayor Gualtieri, President Buonaccorsi, Counselor Guia, Distinguished Guests, Friends in Rome,
00:06It is an honor to join you and our Distinguished Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoyoman Siegel
00:11today for this important gathering dedicated to culture, public responsibility, and the future of great historic cities.
00:18New York City and Rome are two of the most iconic cities in the world.
00:21They are places of creativity, diversity, and civic energy.
00:25They belong to their people, but they also belong to the global imagination.
00:30Manhattan and Rome's first municipality share something profound.
00:33They are not only administrative districts, they are living historic centers.
00:37Every street, every square, every building carries stories from the past while hosting the life of the present.
00:44That is why today's agreement between Manhattan and Municipio Roma y Centro is so meaningful.
00:49This partnership recognizes that historic centers must not become museums of themselves.
00:53They must remain vibrant, inclusive, and inhabited places where residents can live, where culture can grow,
00:59where public space belongs to people, and where heritage is connected to everyday life.
01:04In New York City, we know that culture is not an ornament.
01:07It is infrastructure.
01:08It supports education, strengthens community, fuels the economy, and creates a sense of belonging.
01:13I know that Rome understands this deeply as well.
01:15Through this agreement, we open a path of cooperation between two extraordinary urban centers,
01:21exchanging ideas on cultural governance, public space, schools, tourism management, innovation, sustainability, and civic participation.
01:30At a time when the world often feels divided, relationships between cities become bridges of hope and intelligence.
01:36I warmly congratulate all those who made this moment possible.
01:40May this be only the beginning of a lasting friendship between Manhattan and Rome.
01:45Thank you and greetings from New York City.
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