A meeting was held today at Villa Madama between the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, and the Ambassadors of African countries.
Hon. Tajani said: “Africa is a priority region for our foreign policy, to which we want to keep on committing ourselves in order to achieve an increasingly solid partnership, which is a fundamental prerequisite for tackling together the many global challenges that inextricably bind the two shores of the Mediterranean.”
While opening the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister announced the holding in Rome of the fourth Italy-Africa Conference, a forum for high-level political dialogue with African countries and a functional tool for promoting relations with them. This year the Conference will also be an opportunity to present the Mattei Plan, a new concept of sharing-based partnership: a virtuous model for promoting mutual growth through an all-round collaboration in close connection with the European Global Gateway for Africa.
During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister also expressed his willingness to continue working on strengthening the continent’s economic and trade integration, with a focus on job creation and the development of entrepreneurial and technological skills. These opportunities are linked to Italy’s commitment to invest in basic and university education, as well as in innovative vocational training pathways that will enable African youth to actively participate in the region’s future, thus “rescuing them from the fate of irregular immigration or, worse, from the lure of terrorism or crime”.
Lastly, Hon. Tajani reminded the Ambassadors of Rome’s candidacy for Expo 2030, the theme of which, namely “People and Territories: Regeneration, Inclusion and Innovation’, reflects the shared principles and founding values that inspire relations between Italy and Africa: solidarity and inclusiveness in our partnership, but also innovation, sustainability and sharing to meet global and shared challenges.
