Italy's planned military mission to Niger and its strengthened cooperation with the African migrant transit country show that bilateral ties are of "strategic importance", foreign minister Angelino Alfano said on Tuesday.
"I would like to underline the strategic importance of relations with Niger," Alfano told a conference in Rome on migration from Africa to Europe attended by 13 countries, the EU, the UN and OSCE.
"This year we have opened a new embassy, which is fully operational, and over the past 12 months we have earmarked over 100 million euros for Niger to build a wide-ranging partnership," Alfano said.
"I have met Niger's foreign minister five times over the past year, " he said.
Italy's parliament in January approved the deployment of up to 470 soldiers to Niger to help the country better control its territory and borders, fight against the illegal trafficking of migrants and ensure stability in the area.
