Prodi inaugurates Resource Centre

Chennai, Feb 10 (UNI) Prime Minister of Italy Romano Prodi inaugurated the UNOM-Pirandello Resource Centre for Italian studies and the Ancient Rome and India exhibition here today.

Speaking on the occasion, he said he was delighted to see that the University of Madras continued to remain at the fore.

He said the Pirandello Resource Centre for Italian Studies was a step forward towards improving mutual understanding and cooperative ventures with the University of Madras to attract Indian studies and researchers to Italy.

Later, participating in a question-answer session, Dr Prodi replied that at present, direct flight services between Italy and India were not adequate.

Efforts were on to operate direct flight services between the countries he said. Once this was done, the flow of tourists between the two countries would further increase.

He said to boost tourism, his government was examining to relax conditions for granting tourist visas.

In reply to another question, he said efforts were also on to check the inflation rate.

Prof S Ramachandran, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras in his address, pointed out that setting up of an informative Ancient Rome and India exhibition highlighting the ties that link the two countries was appropriate.

They are inheritors of an ancient and vibrant tradition, which have bequeathed us these warm and strong bonds of friendship and cooperation. This occassion marks one more step in the right direction towards ensuring that this tradition is transmitted unbroken to posterity, he said.

UNI