The first part of the visit to Iraq by Deputy Minister Marina Sereni concluded with celebrations for Republic Day in Baghdad; she will then continue on with her diplomatic mission to Iraqi Kurdistan.
The Deputy Minister met Minister for Culture Hassan Nadhem and went back over the crucial contribution made by Italy to help the recovery of the country’s artistic heritage: the numerous actions taken included reconstruction of the National Archaeological Museum in Baghdad and the eighteen archaeological missions funded by the Farnesina. The many upcoming projects were then examined, especially with regard to museums and the development of tourism in the country.
Sereni then met the Minister of Planning, Khalid Al Najim, and they discussed the fruitful cooperation regarding development aid already underway. Noting that Iraq is still a priority country for the Italian Cooperation Service and the overall amount of 18 million given by the Italian government to support the Funding Facility for Stabilization, the Deputy Minister said that she hoped to further expand the ongoing cooperation, especially with projects in the cultural arena.
At the Alimam Almuntazar school in Baghdad, renovated with funds from the Italian Cooperation Service, Sereni then officiated over the signing of a second development aid agreement to support the UNESCO project “Improve access to inclusive, quality education for children who are outside the school system” worth 1 million euros, demonstrating the constant attention paid by our country to the most fragile and vulnerable victims of armed conflicts.
Finally, along with Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Hussein, Deputy Minister Sereni presided over the Republic Day celebrations with the highest offices of the country and leading representatives of the international community and the Italian community in attendance.
