Kurdistan Regional Government
Representation in Italy
Today, Dr. Kader accompanied Minister Majeed and his delegation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet with the Director General of Development Cooperation, Minister Gianpaolo Cantini, along with Minister Baldi, Head of Emergencies and Humanitarian Activities, and Counselor Barattolo, responsible for the Middle East, Arabian Peninsula, and Gulf States.
Majeed thanked the Italian government for its invaluable support to the Kurdistan Regional Government, particularly on the military and humanitarian fronts, and for the stabilization of the region, which is under severe threat from ISIS.
The discussions focused on relations between the Kurdistan Region and Italy, the progress of ongoing projects, and areas for further collaboration. Among those highlighted by the Minister were refrigeration, preservation, and packaging systems for agri-food products, the development of agricultural supply chains to create jobs, and training activities leveraging the expertise of Italian technicians and companies.
Director Cantini reiterated the Italian Government's support for the Kurdistan Regional Government in the fight against Daesh. Development cooperation will continue to focus on the humanitarian, historical, archaeological, and agri-food sectors. Through the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, in collaboration with other institutes in the Mediterranean Basin, a program of activities will be launched to develop the sectors identified by Minister Majeed. The Institute will assist the Kurdistan Regional Government in developing the agri-food sector, which is crucial to the country's recovery. Regarding the humanitarian sector, Minister Baldi emphasized that healthcare, food security, and education will remain priority areas. Therefore, an increase in resources allocated to existing and future projects is planned for 2016.