Italy wishes to keep playing a leading role in forging joint responses to the major challenges facing the world, foreign minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday as his ministry announced over 125 million euros in aid.
"Italy wants to continue to be among authoritative leaders in the search for coordinated solutions in response to new global challenges," Di Maio told the first Joint Development Cooperation Committee meeting.
"I am certain that our approach on the international stage expressed through development cooperation was one of the reasons why during the (Covid-19) pandemic, we received help and widespread solidarity," he said.
Di Maio chaired Friday's Joint Development Cooperation Committee meeting, which approved a 125 million euro aid package including 28 million euros for the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), 13 million euros for the Covid-19 Fund and 24 million euros for projects in the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
Covid-19 ravaged Italy will hold the G8 presidency next year and is due to host some preliminary events for the key United Nations COP26 climate talks taking place in Glasgow in November 2021.
