Mr. Francesco Rutelli,
Mayor of Rome - 13 November 1996

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Respected guests,

I have the honour of welcoming you in the name of the city of Rome. And this is no empty ritual phrase, but one filled with a deep sense of solidarity.

Rome is proud to host FAO, the member of the United Nations family concerned with nourishing the world. Rome is honoured to host this conference, which so many people are looking to with attention and confidence. Rome is happy to have contributed, as best it could, towards creating an atmosphere of friendship and cooperation with the FAO Summit and the related events also taking place.

This very ancient city was responsible for at least two words that mark human history and culture, words associated with agriculture and the soil. The words mensura and limes-measurement and boundary-remind us all of the very practical action of demarcating land by setting stones in fields as boundary markers. We are reminded of this by the simple but solemn action of Romulus who, according to legend, founded Rome 2749 years ago with a farm implement - the plough - on the hill overlooking this FAO building.

If I may be somewhat undiplomatic, I would call on you, the representatives of the governments of our planet, to make sure that your work reflects the down-to-earth approach of our peasant forebears.

The cautus mensor or "careful surveyor" described by the poet Ovid shared out the land. Here in Rome, you can urge all the people of the earth to share in a collective responsibility; that of bread, life, development, food self-sufficiency, and cancellation of the external debt of the poorest countries by the year 2000.

Absolute poverty is the world's scandal as we end this millennium, and the hunger of so many of our brothers and sisters must be eradicated in their own lands, thanks to their own soil.

So welcome to Rome.

Tomorrow evening, with many of our fellow citizens, we shall be marching from the Capitol to the Colosseum, passing through the Roman Forum, as a sign of friendship and of confidence in your work.

The city of Rome offers you its hand, in the knowledge that you will be offering a hand to the world at large.

My best wishes for your work.

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