“Within the framework of our excellent bilateral relations, we give particular importance to the fruitful cooperation of our two Countries within the G7, also to assure continuity to the Italian Presidency and that of Canada in 2018,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano told the Canadian Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland, when they met today on the fringes of the G20 ministerial meeting under way in Bonn.
Minister Alfano illustrated the priorities of the Italian presidency of the G7 to his Canadian counterpart, especially focusing on the initiatives to assure food security and sustainable agriculture. “Italy proposes to its G7 partners an initiative – the Taormina Initiative – aimed to increase the G7 Countries’ government development aid for food security and sustainable agriculture to a select group of Sub-Saharan African countries,” he said.
The meeting also offered the opportunity to take stock of the main internationally relevant issues of common interest, the prospects of the new U.S. Administration, the relations between Canada and the European Union, and the security policies within NATO and the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh.