(April 14, 2017) With the aim of strengthening bilateral relations between Italy and Ecuador ended on April 13 the visit in Quito by the President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate, Pier Ferdinando Casini who, with the support of our Embassy, had a series of institutional meetings. Many commitments on the agenda, including the participation of Casini, as a speaker, at the conference on the 60 years of the European Union organized by the Pontifical Catholic University, as well as numerous meetings with the local press, which gave wide coverage to the mission . Casini also visited the headquarters of the Dante Alighieri Society of Quito and met the Italian community in Ecuador. Accompanied by the Italian Ambassador in Ecuador, Marco Filippo Tornetta, the President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate has also visited the offices of the Fondo Italo-Ecuatoriano para el Desarrollo Sostenible (Fieds), the cooperation tool designed to manage the conversion operation the Italy-Ecuador debt. On this occasion, Casini spoke with the co-directors Carlo Miglioli and Andrea Marín, who briefly outlined the activities of the Fund and the future prospects of the Conversion Program of the Italy-Ecuador Debt. Casini has expressed its appreciation for the work of the Fund and assured his full support, within his institutional competence, to the activities of the Italian Cooperation in Ecuador. (Red)

ABOUT / SPECIAL RELATIONS

Of special relations that Italy and the European Union have maintained for some time with Latin America, Casini spoke during a conference organized by the Catholic University of Quito on "Sixtieth Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and the Europe - America Latin relations”. After mentioning "the strong cultural, historical and economic ties" between Europe and South America, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee he stressed that the Union represents the world's largest contributor of official development assistance and is the main foreign investor in Latin America: "Even with its limitations and its asymmetries, the EU is still an essential tool of stability and preservation of peace, economic growth and progress" helping to "democratize international relations and focused reports and partnerships to respect human rights and environmental protection ".