Italy's foreign minister Emanuela Del Re on Tuesday outlined the European Union's 'Eni Cbc Med' €68m cross-border cooperation programme to foster sustainable development in the Mediterranean region through help for businesses, technology transfer, social inclusion and climate change mitigation.
"Our presence here testifies to the centrality of the Mediterranean to Italian foreign policy and above all for its development aid," Del Re said in a presentation of the programme at the Italian foreign ministry, according to a statement from the ministry.
"Multilateralism, working together, is in Italy's DNA. Italy. This programme, by virtue of its multilateral nature, offers a forum for confrontation and dialogue between the two shores of the Mediterranean," she went on.
"The Mediterranean, which for the EU is one external border, it is for us the centre - where Italy's foreign policy focuses with especial care."
Italy is playing a leading role in the 'Eni Cbc Med' 2014-2020 programme, thanks to its geographical location and that fact its management has since 2007 been assigned to the Sardinia region, Del Re noted.
