The Italian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Edmondo Cirielli met today in Rome with Andrew Mitchell, British Minister of State for Development and Africa.
The focus of the meeting was the strengthening of bilateral relations following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation “whole of Government”, which was signed by the two Heads of Government on the occasion of Italian Prime Minister Meloni’s visit to London on 27 April.
Deputy Minister Cirielli expressed the Italian government’s satisfaction for the excellent state of the bilateral relationship and for the start of the operational follow-up of the Memorandum of Understanding aimed at deepening cooperation with London on the main international dossiers, especially on the Italian-British cooperation in the African continent, also in the light of the preparation of the development initiatives that will be part of the Mattei Plan for Africa.
Against this background, Deputy Minister Cirielli and Minister of State Mitchell discussed the initiation of collaboration in Italian and British development cooperation in Africa. In the common reading of the current picture of the continent, the importance of deploying interventions not only for security, but also for development, strengthening basic services for the benefit of the population, was highlighted. In particular, Deputy Minister Cirielli insisted on the need to set up equal partnerships, focusing on the creation of infrastructures that are drivers of development, and on training, a pivotal tool for offering young Africans alternatives to the prospect of forced emigration.
Overlapping views also emerged on Tunisia, in particular on the need to reach the conclusion of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund as soon as possible and to provide complementary budget support measures, and on the Sahel, a region where there are interesting spaces for collaboration between Italy and the United Kingdom in initiatives for the benefit of the most vulnerable. Finally, issues related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the “Green Climate Fund” and the priorities of the Italian G7 Presidency were addressed.
