Asmara, 30 January 2024- President Isaias Afwerki and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of the Republic of Italy in the afternoon hours today, 30 January, met and held extensive discussion on development of bilateral ties and mutual cooperation.
The meeting that was held at the Office of the Prime Minister, “Palazzo Chigi’, was conducted with spirit of understanding and working in partnership.
President Isaias highlighted the vast investment opportunities in Eritrea across various sectors such as roads, railways, ports, cable transportation, agriculture, innovation, fish resources, and energy.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that she had assigned her first adviser to oversee the programs that would be carried out with Eritrea. These programs will involve consultations with the Eritrean Government and meetings between Eritrean Government officials and their Italian counterparts.
At the meeting with Mr. Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister of Environment and Energy, and Mr. Francesco Lollonrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, President Isaias said that the relation between Eritrea and Italy has not began with the current relations between Africa and Italy, it had rather unique and historical background that had to go through positive and negative phases.
Indicating that 150 thousand Eritreans that were forcedly conscripted by Italy have become victims of all sorts, President Isaias urged for opening the archives of those Eritreans so that will become bridge for cooperation and strategic relations between the two countries.
President Isaias elaborated that during the Italian colonialism, Eritrea used to possess modern institutions and infrastructure, transportation, ports, agriculture and industry that were mainly serving the Italian settlers. However, President Isaias said that the British colonialism with the pretext that ‘Eritrea could not economically support itself’, had an evil plan to federate Eritrea with Ethiopia. As a result, President Isaias went on to say that, it sold many of modern facilities to foreign countries and destroyed the remaining ones. The institutions and facilities that remained were also destroyed during the 30 years of armed struggle for Eritrea’s Independence, President Isaias added.
Mr. Gilberto Pichetto Fratin on his part said that the Africa-Italy Summit will have significant importance in the development of relations between Italy and Africa in general and that of historic relations with Eritrea as well as in the cooperation in the sectors of mining, and human resources development and others.
Mr. Francesco Lollonrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry on his part said that he will visit Eritrea to fully grasp and implement the idea and briefing forwarded by President Isaias.
President Isaias on the margin of the Africa-Italy Summit, on 29 January met and held talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of the Federal Republic of Somalia and President William Ruto of the Republic of Kenya focusing on the development of bilateral ties and cooperation and on issues of mutual interest.
