Italian Delegation in Monrovia for talks on Liberia-Italian bilateral cooperation

Monrovia; March 6, 2007; An Italian Government delegation, headed by the Deputy Director General for Cooperation and Development at the Ministry of External Affairs of Italy, Mr. Giuseppe Morabito, is in the country to explore ways of strengthening Italy’s bilateral cooperation with Liberia.

Other members of the Italian delegation were the Ambassador of Italy to Liberia, His Excellency Mr. Luciano Barillaro, the Chief of Central Technical Unit, Mr. Pierfrancesco Zazo, and the Second Secretary at the Italian External Affairs Ministry, Mr. Matteo Giglioli.

Members of the delegation today met and held discussion with a number of Liberian Government Officials including Acting Foreign Minister William V.S. Bull, The Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs, Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh, the National Coordinator and Head of the Secretariat of LDRC, Mr. O. Natty B. Davis, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Cooperation, Honorable Commany B. Wesseh. The FAO Representative in Liberia, Dr. Winifred N.O. Hammond, also attended the meeting which took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After welcoming the delegation to the country on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Acting Foreign Minister Bull expressed happiness that the delegation could come to Liberia, especially for the purpose of consolidating Liberian-Italian bilateral cooperation, which is the result of a recent visit to Italy by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf where she and the President and Prime Minister of Italy  agreed to strengthen all issues of bilateral cooperation and relations between Liberia and Italy.

For his part, Planning Minister McIntosh gave indebt briefing on Government’s full poverty reduction strategy which he informed is a three year medium term program (2008-2011) and a bridge between the interim poverty reduction strategy program and a long term development program for socio- economic transformation for sustainable development.

Responding, the head of the delegation, Mr. Marabito, expressed the Italian Government readiness to assist the Liberian Government in implementing its reconstruction and development agenda. He said, Italy is particularly interested in helping Liberia in the areas of food security and health.

The delegation is slated to hold other meetings with officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Health and Social Welfare, Transport, Public Works, as well as the Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Cooperation. The delegation will also be meeting with the FAO representative in Liberia and some officials of UN and other international Agencies.