“For years, the ItaliAfrica Business Week has been a privileged place for African and Italian entrepreneurs to meet and exchange ideas and experiences”. This was said at the opening of the ItaliAfrica Business Week in Rome by Marina Sereni, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. She added: “Africa plays a priority role for our Development Cooperation: more than 50% of the funds are allocated to the continent. In fact, in 2020 alone, African countries were the recipients of about 160 million euros, to reach the figure of 173.5 million in 2021”.
“The presence today of so many representatives of the world of cooperation and business – continued Vice Minister Sereni – allows me to reiterate the importance of a synergistic relationship between these two worlds. The objective is an increasingly close and fruitful partnership between different organisations and actors.
Italy is in the front line to contribute to the security and progress of the African continent.
The ‘people to people’ relationship is a feature of our relationship with Africa, in which there is room for ‘hybrid diplomacy’ that sees governmental and institutional actions assisted by the activities of private actors, including foundations, co-operators, Civil Society Organisations, charities, associations, missionaries, businesses and entrepreneurs”.
ItaliAfrica Business Week is the result of the initiatives of the Diasporas, with which MAECI collaborates intensively. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said the Vice Minister, “has in recent years promoted a proactive policy in the field of business internationalisation, with a view to a sustainable and mutually beneficial economic partnership. Italy represents a natural model for African countries: for the role of small and medium-sized enterprises, the balance between manufacturing vocation and environmental sustainability, and, finally, the composition of our ‘district’ production structure. Over the years, they have demonstrated a strong desire to combine their love for their country of origin and Italy. We are grateful to you for this. I hope for greater strengthening of our collaboration, to the benefit of an equal relationship between Italy and Africa, that – concluded Sereni – lays the foundations for a stable link between the two shores of the Mediterranean, with the full awareness that this will undoubtedly be the ‘African century'”.
