ROME, OCTOBER 8 – The Third Ministerial Conference Italy-Africa opened today in Rome in the framework of the Italian Presidency of the G20 and its three pillars of “People, Planet, Prosperity” and the partnership with the United Kingdom for the COP26. About 50 African countries, Representatives of the African Union and of other main African Regional Organisations, as well as Italian officials and representatives of the business, entrepreneurial, academic and third sectors are attending.
The Italian President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella opened the working panel on Friday 8 October, followed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, USG of the UN and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Vera Songwe, COP26 President, Alok Sharma, President of the Pan European Commission for Health and Sustainable Development, Mario Monti, and B20 President, Emma Marcegaglia.
After the plenary, four more interactive thematic panels are on the agenda (two simultaneous ones during the morning, two in the afternoon) – attended by, among others, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Marina Sereni – in order to offer participants a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas over the issues of renewable energy, energetic transition, environment, green finance and sustainable development. Moreover, a “special round table” devoted to the ‘blue economy’ theme is programme for the afternoon.
Ahead of the official opening, Di Maio and Sereni had bilateral in person meetings with their African counterparts. To Nigerian Geoffry Onyeama, Di Maio reaffirmed the importance of stability for the Western African country and the commitment to improve the partnership in the economic and security fields, adding value to the primary interest for Africa during the G20 Presidency and the COP26 Co-Presidency. Di Maio met with Hassoumi Massoudou from Niger and Chadian Chérif Mahamat Zene, with whom the talks centered over the Libyan and Sahel situations, terrorism and renewable energy.
In turn, Sereni met with IGAD Secretary General Workneh Gebeyehu, to whom she offered Italian support to the organisation’s effort for regional integration, and dealt with the issues of stability and development in the Horn of Africa and regional crises.
Sereni met her Sudanese counterpart Ilham Ibrahim Mohamed Ahmed, to whom she assured that Sudan is among first-tier countries in terms of Cooperation for Italy, and Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs Stanley Kakubo. Talks focused on: the improvement of economic cooperation and the recognition of Lusaka’s role for democracy, development, peace and security. With Botswanan MOFA the hopes centred on deepening bilateral relations, especially in the renewable sector, a theme dealt with also with Lejeune Mbella Mbelaa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cameroon, a key country for the stability of Sahel. (@giorgiodelgallo)
