Giovanni Castellaneta

Giovanni Castellaneta studied law at Rome’s La Sapienza University and worked in Brussels before entering diplomacy. His overseas career included Somalia, Portugal, France, and the UN institutions in Geneva, as well as ambassadorships in Iran and Australia. From 2001 to 2005 he was diplomatic adviser to the prime minister and the prime minister’s representative at G7/G8 summits. ^{1, 2}

His Washington mission began in 2005. In a signed letter to Representative Alcee Hastings on 23 March 2007, Castellaneta supported opening the International Tracing Service archives at Bad Arolsen and committed Italy to seeking prompt ratification of the protocols needed for access by researchers and survivors. ³

After his diplomatic postings, Castellaneta held leadership roles in finance and industry, including the chairmanship of the export credit institution SACE and the presidency of Italfondiario. He became secretary general of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative in 2017. His 2023 reappointment was for a term ending in May 2026. ^{1, 4}