The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the appointment of Mariangela Zappia as Italy’s ambassador to the United States. Zappia is the first women to hold the position.
Following recent approval by the Council of Ministers and the approval of the US government, Mariangela Zappia starts July in her new role.
Zappia’s career
On 1st July, Zappia took over the reins of the Italian Embassy in Washington. She does so “with a commitment to strengthen the deep, historic friendship between Italy and the United States with an eye to the future, and the innovative potential of cooperation between two exemplary democracies,” she says.
Zappia has served a vital role as Permanent Representative to the UN since 2018. She is the first woman to assume the role as Italian Ambassador to Washington.
However, Zappia is familiar with firsts. Shewas also the first woman to become Permanent Representative of Italy to NATO’s Council in Brussels, from 2014 to 2016. The same applied to her role as diplomatic counsellor and G7/G20 Sherpa of two prime ministers between 2016 and 2018. Finally, she was also the first woman to become Italy’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations in New York.
Zappia is a career diplomat. She completed her degree and postgrad course at the University of Florence in the fields of political sciences and international relations. Shortly after she joined Italy’s Foreign Service and has moved through the embassies and the EU.
She has been commended twice for her service, achieving the status of Officer and then Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. In addition, Zappia fights for gender equality as an active member of the International Gender Champions Network.
