Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lapo Pistelli Lapo Pistelli (Florence, 1964) is Vice Minister at Foreign Affairs and member of the Italian Parliament (Chamber of Deputies), elected in 2013 for the Italian Democratic Party, and a member, within the Chamber, of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. He held the latter position and that of member of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly during previous legislatures (1996-2001 and 2001-2004). In 2004-2008, he was elected as a member of the European Parliament, where he served both as Head of the Italian Delegation and as a member of two Committees (Foreign Affairs, and Financial and Economic Affairs). In the Italian Democratic Party is the Head of the Foreign Affairs and International Relations Department. Pistelli’s political career has taken him all over the world and he has visited more than 70 different countries – Europe and the Americas and, especially, Middle East, Balkans, Central Asia, Caucasus - in different capacities (monitoring elections during transitions to democracy, giving lectures, networking with leaders of progressive political parties). He also cooperated and continues to cooperate with a number of progressive think tanks such as Policy Network in London, The Center for American Progress and Brookings Institution in Washington, the Foundation IDEAS in Madrid, the European Council on Foreign Relations. Pistelli earned a Master in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Florence and is a member of the Florence Faculty of the Bing Overseas Studies of Stanford University. He lectured in various universities around the globe, the most recent being the University of Geneva, the Middle East University in Ankara, the Kadir Has University in Istanbul, the University of Sidney and the La Trobe University in Melbourne. In Italy, he is a member of the Board of the IAI (International Affairs Institute) and of the IPALMO (Institute for Relations of Italy with Africa, Latin America, and the Middle and Far East). He is also a member of the Council Italy-United States and of the Board of Editors of East (European and Asian Strategies). A journalist since 1991, he publishes regularly in various newspapers on issues related to european and international affairs and on specialized magazines like Aspenia and Limes. His last book, Il nuovo sogno arabo – Dopo le rivoluzioni, Feltrinelli 2012, analyses the origin and challenges of the so-called Arab Spring and its impact on the geo-political scenario in North Africa and Middle East. Since February 28th he is Vice Minister at Foreign Affairs in Matteo Renzi’s Government..