The 55th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) opened today in St. John’s, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, under the theme: “Building resilient and inclusive economies in the Americas”. Italy, a Permanent Observer to the Organization, was represented at the event – on behalf of Minister Tajani – by the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Giorgio Silli.
In his address, Undersecretary Silli reaffirmed Italy’s strong commitment to relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the central role that trade and investment flows play in reinforcing the region’s economic systems in a tangible way. He also recalled the long-standing and fruitful cooperation between Italy and the OAS across the Organization’s four core pillars: democracy, human rights, security, and development. He stressed that these topics will be explored further during the upcoming 12th Italy–Latin America and Caribbean Conference, scheduled to take place in Rome on 7 October.
On the margins of the General Assembly, Undersecretary Silli held a number of bilateral meetings with heads of delegation from Central American and Caribbean countries, as well as with OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin. In particular, he met with the Foreign Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Saint Kitts and Nevis; with Deputy Ministers from Canada and Panama; and with the UN Interpol Representative. These discussions offered important opportunities to exchange views on future cooperation, particularly regarding electoral observation, human rights protection, and the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking.
