Overseas aid is the "operational arm" of a country's foreign policy, Italy's deputy foreign minister Emanuela Del Re said at the opening of the Exco2019 international aid fair in Rome.
"It is no coincidence that Exco is taking place in Rome, a city that represents the third pole of the United Nations after New York and Geneva," said Del Re.
The presence in Italy of numerous international organizations shows that it "has a strong multilateralist vocation to make the most of," she said.
"I hope that Exco can contribute to a disinterested and positive interpretation of aid," Del Re stated.
Representatives from institutions and from the private sector from all over the world are attending Exco2019, the first fair of its kind which is taking place from Wednesday through Friday.
