The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs responsible for cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, chaired the fifth meeting of the Joint Committee on Development Cooperation for 2026 today at the Foreign Ministry.
During the meeting, a package of measures and initiatives totalling approximately 260 million euros was adopted, in line with the priorities of Italian Development Cooperation and the 2026 Programme.
Among the most significant ones, funding of 20 million euros was adopted for the Agbledu Smart-Agri Markets (ASAM) programme in Africa, developed in cooperation with the Ghanaian authorities and the UNDP. The initiative, which is consistent with the goals of the Italy-Africa Digital Partnership under the Mattei Plan, aims to strengthen agri-food systems through smart agricultural markets, digital solutions and tools to facilitate access to finance.
The Committee also adopted a contribution of 15 million euros for Ukraine to the European Flagship Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, aimed at facilitating the mobilisation of private capital to support recovery and reconstruction.
As an immediate follow-up to Deputy Minister Cirielli’s mission to Armenia, which has just ended, a contribution of 2 million euros was also adopted for the sustainable inclusion of refugees in partnership with UNHCR and FAO.
In Asia, the Committee adopted a major initiative in partnership with the Asian Development Bank to support Vietnam’s public budget, with a view to boosting the country’s competitiveness and trade, with particular focus on the private sector. It also adopted a €3.5 million project on environmental restoration of water and soil in the Fergana Valley, as part of the implementation of the strategy for the expansion of Italian cooperation in Central Asia.
In addition to €9 million in grants to support multilateral organisations, three projects totalling approximately €15.5 million were finally adopted. They were submitted by Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Friuli-Venezia Giulia under the Regions’ Fund and will involve several partner countries of Italian Cooperation.
