ROME (ITALPRESS) – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, will be on a mission to Argentina and Brazil starting tonight for meetings with the institutional authorities of the two countries, representatives of the local and Italian business community that has invested there and representatives of the Italian community. This was announced by the Farnesina.
“Latin America is a priority region for Italian foreign policy: close at the cultural and value level, rich in opportunities for our companies. We want to be the voice of this region in Europe,” said the minister. “Argentina and Brazil, in particular, are two key countries, also in light of the presence of extensive and deep-rooted communities of Italians and Italian-descendants. Already with this mission we aim to strengthen bilateral cooperation at all levels, starting with the economic partnership,” the Minister added.
In Buenos Aires Tajani will have a meeting with President Javier Gerardo Milei of the Republic of Argentina.
He will also see Prime Minister Guillermo Francos, Minister of Justice, Mariano Cùneo Libarona, and Secretary of State for Tourism Environment and Sports, Daniel Scioli.
During the mission, the minister will co-chair a roundtable of Italian and Argentine business leaders, with a focus on strengthening investment in the country and growing trade.
Tomorrow, Tajani will also participate in Buenos Aires in commemorations organized by local Jewish associations of the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel.
“We must work to strengthen our ties, also thanks to the renewed impetus that the Argentine government wants to give to the country’s economy and competitiveness,” said Minister Tajani. “The Italian business community is one of the most important in Argentina. More than 300 companies employ about 16,500 workers with a turnover of about 2.64 billion euros in the automotive, energy, infrastructure, agribusiness and insurance sectors. It is the sign of an uninterrupted cooperation that we intend to strengthen and deepen today, while accompanying the process of stabilization of the country’s macroeconomic and financial framework,” the minister continued.
Tajani will also open the proceedings of a system-wide meeting with all Italian Ambassadors, the Directors of the Foreign Trade Institute (ICE) offices and the Directors of the Italian Cultural Institutes in Latin America.
As part of the “sports diplomacy” action, the Foreign Minister will sign with Secretary Scioli a declaration of intent on bilateral collaboration on sports diplomacy. He will then inaugurate from the Italian School “Cristoforo Colombo” the Week of the Italian Language in the World, in the presence of students and teachers from all Italian parochial schools in Buenos Aires.
In São Paulo Tajani will meet with the Minister of the Casa Civil of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Rui Costa dos Santos, and the Governor of São Paulo, Tarcisio De Freitas. He will also open the work of the Italy-Brazil Business Forum, attend the opening of the new SIMEST office, and meet with the Italian community and business community.
“First and foremost, this trip to São Paulo represents an opportunity to consolidate political and economic-commercial relations with a partner of strategic importance,” said Tajani, who added, “2024 marks a crucial year for bilateral relations, not only because of the very numerous reciprocal institutional visits and the respective presidencies of the G7 and G20, but also in light of the 150th anniversary of Italian immigration to Brazil.”
Vice President Antonio Tajani’s visit to Brazil follows that of President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, the first by an Italian head of state in 24 years, and precedes the participation of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the upcoming G20 Summit in Rio in November.
– photo Agenzia Fotogramma –
(ITALPRESS).