(Adnkronos) – Foreign minister Antonio Tajani and interior minister Matteo Piantedosi headed to Africa on Tuesday on a “strategic mission” to bolster Italy’s partnerships with Mauritania, Senegal and Niger, Tajani wrote on X.
“Setting off on a strategic mission to Mauritania, Senegal, and Niger. The goal of the mission is to strengthen partnership with these three key countries in West Africa,” Tajani wrote.
“This is a trip to underscore the importance of the African continent for Italy,“ Tajani said in a video before travelling to Mauritania’s capital Nouakhchott.
Italy wants to be “a key player” in West Africa and to “reaffirm a crucial friendship” through dialogue with local institutions and the business world, Tajani said.
“This visit will also be important for inter-faith dialogue because we want to bolster Italy’s role as a peacemaker throughout the African continent,” Tajani stated.
While in West Africa, Tajani will told talks with the Bishop of Nouakchott and the Archbishops of Dakar and Niamey in a sign of Italy’s commitment to interreligious dialogue and safeguarding minority Christians in the region, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Piantedosi underlined how Italy can offer Mauritania, Senegal, and Niger its “well-established tradition of international cooperation in police and institutional training”.
“This is extremely important,” Piantedosi said in joint remarks with Tajani ahead of their mission.
“Another focus of the mission will be on combatting migration (to Europe from Africa), drug and arms trafficking, which is vital for us,” said Piantedosi.
