Conakry - AICS Director Marco Riccardo Rusconi recently welcomed a Guinean delegation led by Ismael Nabe, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, along with Ambassador Aminata Kobélé Keita. The minister emphasized agriculture as a priority sector for the government, aiming to strengthen capacities and stabilize young people in local rural communities. He also expressed great appreciation for the Italian Cooperation project Paguita and assured the finalization of the agreement, a priority noted during the recent Cooperation mission in the country two months ago. The minister thanked Italy for its support of the National Health Plan and hoped for collaboration between the private sectors of both countries, leveraging the expertise of Italian companies, potentially through public-private partnerships. He proposed forming a mixed commission for cooperation to identify common strategies, focusing on agriculture, health, and education. The AICS director highlighted regional initiatives in Guinea, supported with a 20 million euro credit for the health system, migration (with the IOM), human rights (with the UN High Commissioner), agricultural production in the Senegal river basin (with the Regional Organization for the Development of the River Basin), and youth health (with UNFPA). He also mentioned that the 2024 programming will focus on these priority sectors. Minister Nabe discussed the major Simandou project, valued at 20 billion dollars, which includes a railway and a port on the Atlantic to transport iron from inland mines and drive economic development. He noted the support from various countries and private investors and hoped for Italy's participation within the Mattei Plan. (9colonne)