European countries are keen to strengthen international development cooperation, Italy's deputy foreign minister Emanuela Del Re said on Friday after attending a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels that centred on youth and the Sahel region, which she recently visited.
"There is a certain convergence among the EU member countries on many issues and there is a certain will to cooperate even more among us, ” Del Re said, according to a foreign ministry statement.
“It was a very fruitful day also because it is now impossible to discuss foreign policy without referencing development," she said.
The Foreign Affairs Council meeting began with an "exchange of views" on the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for development and on climate change, according to the statement.
“The Italian government is firmly committed to achieving the sustainable development goals set out in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda," said Del Re.
