Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, was on an official mission to Italy from September 25-27. On 25 September she took part to a high-level conference on competences for democratic culture, organised by the Italian Delegation to PACE, together with the President of the Italian Delegation to PACE Michele Nicoletti, the Italian Minister of Education, University and Research, Valeria Fedeli and PACE General Co-ordinator of the Alliance on combating racism and intolerance, Milena Santerini. On 27 September she took part in Lucca to a special ceremony to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Cultural Routes Programme of the Council of Europe, which took place on the occasion of the 7th Advisory Forum. Delivering the first opening statement the Deputy Secretary General highlighted the significant success of the Programme, launched in order to encourage Europeans to embark on voyages of discovery: learning about each other, overcoming differences and celebrating diversity in order to create a more cohesive and inclusive society. The event was organised by the Council of Europe in co-operation with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, the Tuscany Region, the Lucca Province, the City of Lucca and the European Institute of Cultural Routes.