Preventing and combating corruption, illegal trafficking, terrorism financing, organised crime, controlling illegal migration flows and protecting Brand Italy. These are the main areas of consolidated cooperation between the Guardia di Finanza (GdF) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) being discussed in the annual Meeting of Experts and Liaison Officers of the Guardia di Finanza seconded at different Italian Embassies in the world (Belgrade, Berne, Brasilia, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Cologne, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, New Delhi, Ottawa, Panama, Paris, Beijing, Rabat, Vienna and Washington).
The Meeting, being held at the Farnesina’s International Conference Hall, will open with remarks by Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, the Commanding General of the Guardia di Finanza, Giorgio Toschi, and the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, Elisabetta Belloni.
Some of the speakers on the agenda will focus on the initiatives taken to fight corruption, counterfeiting activities abroad and protecting Brand Italy, which are the main areas of cooperation between the MAECI and the GdF. The two institutions cooperate in this context to promote the sharing of information and the exchange of good practices at international level, perform activities to protect “made in Italy” products and enrich the dialogue with the Authorities of Third Countries with information on the results obtained, with a view to promoting the Italian system at international level.
Another sector of close cooperation between the two institutions is the struggle against the financing of terrorist organizations and the enforcement of international sanctions (from 2015 Italy co-chairs with United States and Saudi Arabia the Counter ISIL Finance Group).
At national level, the MAECI and the GdF cooperate on developing and implementing the National Strategic Plan of the National Anti-Counterfeiting Council, of which they are both members.
After closing the plenary session, the Guardia di Finanza experts will hold technical meetings at the Farnesina to discuss in detail the political and legal aspects of the geographical locations in which they operate.
