Italy's lower house of parliament speaker Roberto Fico on Monday hailed former deputy foreign minister Emanuela Del Re's appointment as the European Union's special envoy to the Sahel, noting that she will be the first woman in the role.
"All the best to Emanuela Del Re...she is the first women to hold this post in a key region for many international issues from security to migration, development and cooperation," Fico said.
Del Re, who is a member of the Italian parliament, belongs to Fico's party, the anti-establishment 5Star Movement, which is currently part of the centre-left coalition government. She served as deputy foreign minister from 2018 until February this year.