At the end of an intense day of work at the United Nations, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, on the fringes of the UNGA, had a comprehensive and positive talk with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Adel Al Jubeir.
The top items on the agenda were Libya and Syria, in addition to a careful analysis of the current state of bilateral relations.
With reference to Libya, Minister Alfano recalled the fundamental role of the States in this region in stabilising the Country and reaffirmed that “only through inclusive dialogue, within the framework of the Political Agreement, will it be possible to consolidate Libyan institutions, promote national reconciliation and create an environment favourable for calling elections.”
Turning to bilateral relations, the Foreign Minister referred to the long-standing friendship between the two Countries, confirming that: “Italy intends to give new impetus to bilateral relations and bolster cooperation in several fields.” In this connection, Minister Alfano affirmed that the “next session of the Mixed Bilateral Commission scheduled in Rome will represent an important step in this direction.”
Minister Alfano then made an overview of the principal bilateral commercial cooperation programmes and said: “During the past few years, we saw Italian companies play a growing role in the strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia in key public and private infrastructure projects. There is still a vast potential to tap in our commercial and industrial relations.”
