The second meeting between the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, and the Ambassadors of African countries accredited to the Quirinale will be held at the Farnesina on Tuesday 4 July. The meeting will be attended by the Italian Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, the Italian Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, the Italian Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, the Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, and the Undersecretary of the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit, Paola Frassinetti. The opening institutional speeches will be streamed on the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGtCkmHAbjA
The event confirms the priority attention with which the Italian Government looks to the African Continent and the desire to work together at all levels to address common challenges, from economic, academic, scientific and cultural cooperation to the fight against irregular migration.
This second appointment with the African Ambassadors, which follows last May’s meeting, is a fundamental step towards the Italy-Africa Conference scheduled to be held in Rome this autumn, during which the Mattei Plan for Africa will be presented — a new approach of shared ideas and projects at the service of an equal partnership with African countries.
Africa is the priority of the Italian Cooperation, which pays particular attention to the nexus of security, migration and growth to promote sustainable development on the continent. The theme will also be discussed during this meeting, with a special focus on food security, one of the main challenges of international politics that will be at the top of the agenda of the Italian G7 Presidency in 2024.
Lastly, the event will provide an opportunity to remind the Heads of Mission of Rome’s candidacy for Expo 2030, whose theme, “People and Territories: Regeneration, Inclusion and Innovation”, reflects the founding values underpinning relations between Italy and Africa, but also provides an opportunity for cooperation and partnership in the areas of energy and digital transition.
