Under-Secretary Mario Giro met the Speaker of the Somali Parliament, Mohamed Osman Jawari, at the Farnesina today for discussions that included the AMISOM Mission, the political and stabilisation processes, and development cooperation.
AMISOM Mission and political process
The meeting was a valuable opportunity to exchange information and views on the situation in Somalia with respect to the military developments in the AMISOM Mission and the political process currently under way. Under-Secretary Giro reiterated the Italian position on the need for an inclusive and truly federalist political process based on effective power- and resource-sharing by the Federal Government and the regional authorities.
Italy understands that a stable Somalia is essential to preserve the delicate equilibrium in the Horn of Africa, said Under-Secretary Giro, and to tackle the various trans-national threats originating in the region. Threat such as terrorism, piracy and illegal trafficking, whose effects reverberate around the Mediterranean and affect the entire international community.
Stabilisation process: Italy ready to provide support, says Giro
Under-Secretary Giro reassured his guest that Italy “is ready to support the stabilisation process in Somalia on a basis of Somali ownership”. This is the principle inspiring the strong support given by our country, including through our intense activity in the European Union context, as principle funder. And it inspires our work with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and IGAD Partners Forum, the main international bodies engaged in the political reconstruction process in Somalia.
In February 2014, Italy took over the command of the EU Training Mission (EUTM) in Somalia. And in the second half of the year the Carabinieri will be organising a training course in Djibouti for 200
Somali police officers, following on from similar initiatives agreed early in 2013.
Development Cooperation: Somalia is a priority country
Lastly, Under-Secretary Giro observed that over the last 20 years Somalia has been a priority country for Italian Development Cooperation. We have engaged in initiatives through multilateral channels to support the federal Government’s capacity to provide services for the population, and worked with NGOs in the food security sector and in providing basic medical supplies
