The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edmondo Cirielli, met today with the UK Minister for International Development and Africa, Jennifer Chapman.
The meeting provided an opportunity to further discuss key shared priorities in the field of development cooperation, with particular attention to Africa and the opportunities offered by the Mattei Plan. The two sides reviewed the impact of current geopolitical tensions on development policies, focusing in particular on the possible repercussions of the crisis in the Gulf on food security and the agri-food resilience of African countries. In this context, the Deputy Minister highlighted Italy’s commitment to strengthening food systems in partner countries, also through support for the UN Hub in Rome and cooperation with international organisations and financial institutions.
Cirielli also outlined several Italian initiatives supporting coffee supply chains in East Africa, developed in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and various countries in the region, underlining possible areas for cooperation and co-financing.
Finally, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to basic education, also in view of the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which will be co-hosted this year by Italy and Nigeria.
