Undersecretary Rauti at the Mediterranean Games: “The Department of Defense Is Also Doing Its Part in the Areas of Sports and Security”

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August 22, Taranto — “The Mediterranean Games, which have just begun, are an opportunity for inclusion and exchange between the cultures of the three continents bordering the Mediterranean and among the millennia-old civilizations of the Mare Nostrum; they are taking place in the spirit of dialogue, environmental sustainability, and collaboration among peoples, with a view toward revitalizing the region and leaving a positive legacy for future generations.”

So said the Undersecretary of State for Defense, Senator Isabella Rauti, in Taranto for the Mediterranean Games.

The Senator—who is responsible for sports activities within the Department of Defense—participated in the flag-raising ceremony at the Athletes’ Village and the opening ceremony of the Games at the ‘Erasmo Iacovone’ Stadium, and is following the competitions, which also feature athletes from the military sports teams.

“Italy is participating with 497 athletes, about 100 of whom are military personnel,” the Undersecretary noted, “men and women of the Armed Forces who, alongside their daily commitment to serving the country, dedicate themselves to competitive sports, achieving extraordinary results and representing Italy in the most important international competitions.

The Ministry of Defense is also present at the Games with assets and personnel from the Armed Forces, who contribute to the organization and safe conduct of the event.”

According to Rauti, “The Mediterranean Games are much more than a sporting event: they represent 75 years of history and symbolize coming together, dialogue, and sharing. And all the municipalities in Puglia involved in the 2026 competitions will become focal points of a major international event capable of showcasing the region and conveying, through sports, messages of friendship and a ‘prophecy of peace and brotherhood among peoples,’ as Pope Leo XIV recalled during his last Angelus.”

“Myth Becomes Future”—the slogan of the opening ceremony—indicates that, in the grand spirit of Magna Graecia, the crossroads of the Mediterranean, the ‘liquid continent’ can serve as a geopolitical center of gravity, and the Games as an international opportunity for peaceful dialogue and a catalyst for the development of the entire region,” concluded the Undersecretary.