UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES

POSTAL ADD RESS - ADRE SS E PO STAL E : UNITED NATIONS, NY 10017 CA BLE ADDRESS -ADRESS E TELEGRAPHIOUE : UNATIONS NEWYORK

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL CABINET DU SECRETAIRE GE NERAL

REFERENCE:

6 July 2011

Dear Professor Guarnieri,

On behalf of the Secretary-General, I would like to thank you for your letter dated 30 November 2010, inviting him to attend the 32nd edition of the "Meeting for Friendship Amongst Peoples", a cultural festival to be held in Rimini from 21 to 27 August 2011. -

The Secretary-General appreciates your kind invitation. Unfortunately, I regret to inform you that he will not be able to attend the festival, owing to prior commitments during the said dates. Nevertheless, allow me to take this opportunity to convey his best wishes for a successful event.

Yours sincerely, ~=:..___'- Chef de Cabinet

Prof. Emilia Guarnieri President Rimini Meeting Rimini rD' ~~ rc f ~ o/1 ~ r1 ~ 1 J"l.\LJ 4 2011 J~ EOSGI CENTRAL ~ c \t/oR/ooL..­ t ..

Mr. Ban Ki-mooll . Secr~tary-General United Nations ""' Hciidquarters S-3800· ~ -. - ·-. · :--..:~ 'ofll' :::'•"•···. • •;,:,,-\. ~ ~ .·u ol ..,.,. . , ..• "! :· -~ . "":' .1., . ._ 1• • , ,. '"~..·' New York NY10017- USA EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL Rimini, November 301ll, 2010 ...

Dear Secretary-General,

it is with great pleasure !1:\at I would like to fuvite you to attend the XXXII edition of the Meeting[9r Friendship Amorteqt Peop,les that will take place at the Rimin.i Fair Center from Sunday. Augpst 21 n through Saturday, August 21'·5, 2011 . ·

The Meeting for Frie1uiship Amongst Peoples is held annually since 1980 during one week in the second half of Augu.st a.t the Rimini Fair Center, and is the most important and most atrended cultural festival in the world: more than 700,000 visitors, 130 conferences, 35 shows, 10 exhib)tion.s, and an average of almost 1000 joumali.sts accredited during the last eclitioJJs.

The Meeting was hom over thirty years ago from· the initiative of a group of friends who Jive the Christian experience of Cqmmunion and Liberation and, since its beginnings, it was recognized as an important place for the encounter of experiences and peoples of different faiths and cultures who share a positive desire for encounter and reciprocal appreciation. Over the years some among the roost important personalities in the world scene have participated to the Meeting.

Amon,g our many important guests (more than 6000 in these 31 editions) we remember, religious leaders ali! Pope John Pa.ul II, the Dalai Lama, tbe tben.·Cardinal. Joseph Ra.tz:ingc.r, Mother Teresa, Metropolitan Filarct and Rabbi David Rosen; heads of state as U:ch Walesa, Abdelaziz Boutetlika, Ibrahim Rugova, Francesco Cossiga and Mazy McAleese; heads of govemment as Giulio Andreotti, Helro.ut Kohl, Romano Prodi, Silvi\! Berlusconi, Jose Maria Azna.r, Tony Blair, Franco Frattinj, Carl Bildt, Nebecl Shaat, Silvan Shalom, Abdullah Abdullah, Hoshyar Al Zebari -and Amre Moussa; heads ofEuropean Institutions as Simone Veil, Pat Cox, Hans-Gcrt Poettering and Jose Manuel Barroso; theologians and philosophers as Hans Urs von Balthasar, Jean Guitton, Augusto Del Noce and Roger Scr.uton; great writers and artist as A1Jaron Appelfeld, Sari Nusseibeh, An.drei Tarkovsky, Eugene Ionesco, Chaim Potok, Jose Carreras and ruccardo Muti; leading entrepreneurs and top ma11agers as Franyois Michelin, Sergio Marchionne, Luca Cordero di Montczcinolo, Paolo Scaroni, Fulvio Conti, Pier Francesco Guarguagl.ir{i ~ Jacques Attali and ' Nicholas Ncgroponte; wor·ld champions and gold medals of various iport as Niki J~auda, Nelson Piquet, Pietro Mennea, Franco Barcsi, Deborah Compagnoni, Antonio Ro ~ si, Loris Capirossi and Valentino Rossi; Nobel Law·eates as J6r0me Lejeune, Yves Coppens, Carlo Rubbia, Jean Marie Lebn, Charles Townes, Johu Mather and George Smoot. You may flnd more detailed information about ow: eveo.t Blld his history in the ~ttached document~,:. ./.. I . •' . I .. r .- ...... I ~ riiTtiili fl\• . ·'--~ mee\!J)ng

47900 'Mitiliit, vta :F.tamlnla ts caseftlll!0$1aie io~ iel . .t39 0?41.783ioo fall ... 39 osti :r~2 .

Tho next edition of the Meeting will have as title and main theJDe: "And existence becomes an immense certainty." As a matte~: offact ,,_,c~£Itain1yj ~.~:fundamental issue ofthe,huml!fl ~l2!'-IieJ?E..C on which . -- we waiit·.to· pose ques ti'on.~ ; it is not oiily an ioeologi'cil ot'§sychoioWcal issu£5,' biit ft' ifu.~Hes the· relation. .of' man's: knowledge with reality. In other words, can man get to koow reality or must he be satisfied with its interpretati.ons:? The Meeting maintains that certainty.i s the way man faces reality and therefore it challenges the modem culture, from nihllism to relativism, to the "weak thought", which affiJJD..that it is impossible to be certain.

In tb.e meantime I have the honor to inform you that we are organizing with the kind support of Amb. Cesare Marla Ragaglini, Perro~ent Representative of Italy at the United Nations, an official presentation(; of our Foundation: at the United Nations in New York This important event should take place in spring 201 1( /jlfft. '//D(J) and it would be a great opportunity for u~ to be able to meet you on that occasion. '/

We remain at your complete disposal for any further information that rrught support your participation. In case of need, your secretarial staff may contact 'M:r. Marco Aluigi, Vice Director and Congress Manager of the Meeting, as follows: office phone +39.0541. 783100, office fa."t +39.0541.786422, e-r.nail: marco. aluigi@;weetingrimini. org

Hoping that the Meeting may prove itself again this year a.S an ever new occasion to meet and discuss about the great themes of man ·s life, and that it may concretely contribute to peace and friends.hlp amongst peoples, also with your participation, we look forward to your positive reply.

Best regards,

The President Professor Emilia Guarnieri ~-;-1~ - .f~..,·

Attached: documentation about the Meeting For Frierid.ship Amongst Peoples

mHUn;: pourlJ"amitii; Meetinl! ~:)aiD Ia ; en!ftt 1i!S1>!1uprs!f­ a~cfontra ~M: .pflel!l18 i(i~' au Gii~ · ReM.1>e~~tf . . '' . . . des . p!ltsonnes · mont l ~s: · Jur:riilea91u.M ' so~~~. n~* . C.I.F. '0.:121S4~Q4~ n" 'de iVA: o~ ..... • 1J PERMANENT MISS ION OF ITALY TO THE UNITED NATIONS ...... ~ . ·. . '

One Dag Hemmerskjl!ld Plaza 885 Second Avenue. 49 1 ~ Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel, (212) 486 9191 Fax (212) 486 1036 New York, 17 June 2011

FROM: H.E. Mr. Cesare Maria Ragaglini Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN

TO: H. E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General of the United Nations New York

Fax No.: 212 963 2155

NO. PAGES: cover+ 4

RECEIVED TIME JUN. 17. 9:57AM