The Italian Institute for Africa (Via Ulisse Aldrovandi 16, Rome) is the only agency destined by law to carry out the functions of a National Centre of relations with Africa on a cultural, economic, and social basis. Other Centres in Italy that are interested in particular geographic areas of the African Continent are the Centro per le Relazioni Italo-Arabe (Centre for Italo-Arab Relations) (Via Caroncini 19, Rome) and the Istituto per l'Oriente (Via Caroncini 19, Rome) whose attention is directed toward Mediterranean Arabic Africa and countries of the Asiatic Near East. There is in Milan (Via Santa Radegonda 8) the Gruppo Vittorio Bottego directed by General B. V. Vecchi that on a private basis promotes Italo-African relations in collaboration with the Centro Economico Italia-Africa della Camera de Commercio di Milano. Other interrelations on scientific and academic grounds are encouraged by some Italian universities also within the course of studies of the faculty of Political Science and Letters. In Naples there is the Istituto Universitario Orientale that pays a great deal of attention to Africa especially in the field of philology.