At the direction of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia, is in Uganda leading an Italian Development Cooperation delegation bringing together representatives of institutions, academia, civil society organisations, the Italian private sector and partner international organisations.
Discussions with Ugandan counterparts focus on Italian Development Cooperation projects currently under way in the country, a priority partner in Italy’s development cooperation strategy, with a total value of approximately €42 million. These initiatives cover key areas of local development, including healthcare, education, agriculture and environmental protection. The meetings will also explore prospects for cooperation and future strategic initiatives, starting with projects to develop the coffee value chain and promote environmental sustainability, worth more than €150 million in total.
Key events during the visit include the launch of the Business Hub, designed to support the development of the local private sector, and the groundbreaking ceremony for the Coffee Training Center, being developed by UNIDO as part of Italy’s Coffee Act initiative. The Secretary General will also take part in the launch of the Prisma project, which aims to strengthen maternal and child healthcare and cancer care in the country’s most remote areas, and will sign the new Framework Agreement on Development Cooperation. The programme also includes visits to projects run by the Community of Sant’Egidio, the EcoLab laboratories and EMERGENCY’s hospital facilities, reflecting Italy’s commitment to social and humanitarian work.
