It is the evocative landscape of Langkawi, in Malaysia, which is the backdrop for the more than 40 naval units and numerous air assets from all over the world on the occasion of the Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition LIMA23 from 23 to 28 May last. In what is one of the most prestigious exhibitions in the world of the maritime and aerospace industry, Nave Morosini, with its iconic shapes and characteristics, testifies to the excellence of Italian shipbuilding and the technological development pursued by the Navy and, at the same time, with its crew, represents Italian culture in the world, as an appendix of a country system in movement that identifies growth, progress and opportunities in the sea.
Numerous events have involved the ship and its crew, testifying to the closeness of all the actors who contribute to the ship's mission Morosini and the interest shown by foreign navies towards the Navy and national industry.
The stop in Langkawi, which began with a visit by the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon. Edoardo Rixi reiterated what Italy's attention is in an area of growing geopolitical importance and how there is also an opportunity for our country system in military technological innovation. The numerous visits on board Malaysia's political authorities including Defense Minister, Dato' Seri Utama Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan, Home Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail, and Deputy Prime Minister, he Dato Sri Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof, as well as the sultans of Perak, Perlis and Kedah regions have helped to bring luster to our technology in the context of LIMA23 and to become aware of the attention that this part of the world pays to our country.
But LIMA23 it wasn't just that. It was confrontation, dialogue, opportunities for growth and cultural sharing, in a mix of events that developed both in the exhibition hall structures and in the city of Langkawi. Occasions such as participation in the Naval Engineering Conference or the daily OPSO Discussions in fact, they brought together the officers of all the ships participating in the event, allowing them to look at the technological advances that characterize new shipbuilding in the international arena and to discuss methodologies and operational procedures replicated, then, even at sea on the last day, in a series of kinematic maneuvers of increasing difficulty.
The closing ceremony of the event, realized in Fleet and Food Festival, finally closed the curtain on the 5 days of intense activity through a cultural event in which each crew became the protagonist in illustrating their own culture and culinary traditions, recalling how only the sea, the leitmotif of the event, unites peoples, different cultures, histories and traditions.
Ship Morosini, the only European ship at the event, was able to appreciate the value of the event, acknowledging the meaning and opportunity of its mission, which takes shape, day after day, and in every minimum detail, in highlighting its diplomatic and representation of the nation in the Indo-Pacific area.
Proceed towards new countries and proud gaze towards new horizons holding the Italian flag high in the world.