The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi, is in Doha, the first stop of a mission focused on growth diplomacy that will continue in Asia. This morning, accompanied by Ambassador Paolo Toschi, she had a fruitful bilateral meeting with the Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed. The meeting focused on the positive trade between Italy and Qatar, which will be further enhanced thanks to the Memorandum for the promotion of investment, signed last year in Rome. The possibilities for new collaborations in key sectors such as energy, defence, infrastructure and transport were also explored. “We already have many successful examples”, the Undersecretary pointed out, mentioning, inter alia, the Italian contribution to the North Field LNG field expansion project. “We are ready to contribute with our expertise to the achievement of the ambitious goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030, which also provides promising opportunities in innovative sectors such as energy transition, digital, tourism development and sectors related to agribusiness and biotechnology”, she concluded, hoping for the organisation of an upcoming Business Forum involving Italian and Qatari companies.
The Undersecretary then met Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, Secretary General of MOFA. During the cordial conversation, political and cultural relations between the two countries, Italian humanitarian support to the Palestinian population and the Food for Gaza programme were discussed. She commented: “Qatar is a strategic partner for Italy. We are united by deep friendship and cooperation, which is reflected in the excellent state of our relations.”
The Undersecretary concluded her visit to Doha by meeting the representatives of the Italian Community and the Country System present at the inauguration of the Italian Design Day, organised by the Italian Embassy, where two projects carried out by the students of the VCU School of Arts – Qatar, in collaboration with Italian professors and architecture firms were presented, i.e. “Tableya’”, curated by Professors Marco Bruno and Giovanni Innella, which consists of 3D printed coffee tables at the “Nucleo” firm in Turin and inspired by the nomadic tradition of the region, and “Acapulco Reimagined”, curated by Professors Majdulin Nasrallah and Simone Muscolino, a project to reuse some armchairs by combining sustainability and local aesthetics. The Undersecretasry said: “You are the testimonials of our know-how and the unequivocal demonstration of appreciation for our excellence. We are also counting on you to enhance the great potential for development between Italy and Qatar,’ said the Undersecretary.