Emanuela Del Re, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, participated in the 20th Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
As recalled by the Deputy Minister in her speech, this is the first meeting of the IORA Council of Ministers in which Italy participates, as Italy is dialogue partner since November 2019. “IORA plays a key role in the Indian Ocean region and we are delighted that on many occasions this year Italy has been able to share its experience and ideas on the blue economy and the responses to Covid-19, with Webinars on fishing, aquaculture, clean energy and sustainable navigation. ” – highlighted Del Re, recalling that Italy also co-organized a specific Italy-IORA Meeting on the development of sustainable cruise tourism, last October.
“Italy considers IORA an ideal partner to give concrete answers to the global economic recovery. Now we can count on an Italy-IORA Committee, which brings together the main Italian players in the blue economy, both in the public and private sectors. ” – continued and then announced that in 2021, Italy will further increase cooperation with IORA members. “We have created an Italy-IORA platform, which is already serving online as a catalyst to create awareness about IORA and networking opportunities with our partners in the Indian Ocean.”
“Especially in light of the current crisis, we will do our best to strengthen cooperation between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, two regions with a great wealth of natural resources, cultural heritage, and diversity” – concluded the Deputy Minister.