Cape Town - On July 6 and 7, the regional meeting of ambassadors and directors from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in Southern Africa took place in Cape Town. The meeting focused on further strengthening Italian initiatives in the region under the Mattei Plan. "Since the beginning of my tenure, I have made Africa a strategic priority in our foreign policy. It is a continent where we can play a significant role. These regional meetings lay the groundwork for strengthening Italy's relations with various African states," said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. He highlighted the Italy-Africa summit and the Mattei Plan as concrete examples of the Italian government's commitment to the African continent. The meeting, chaired by Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia, was attended by ambassadors from Brazzaville (Republic of Congo), Harare (Zimbabwe), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Luanda (Angola, Sao Tome), Lusaka (Zambia and Malawi), Maputo (Mozambique, Eswatini, and Botswana), and Pretoria (South Africa, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Namibia), as well as AICS directors responsible for the region (Maputo, Nairobi, and Niamey). The first session focused on the prospects of Italian initiatives in Southern Africa, aiming to launch major development projects with an "equal partnership" approach. The second session centered on how the new Italian Cooperation strategy in Africa contributes to the success of the Mattei Plan. On the sidelines of the meeting, Secretary-General Guariglia met with Zane Dangor, Secretary-General of the local Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, for bilateral consultations and discussions on key regional and international issues. (9colonne)