ROME, JANUARY 15 – The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, met in Rome with the Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Antonio Vitorino. Minister Di Maio expressed his deep appreciation for the role IOM plays in the management of migration flows and for the bilateral cooperation established with Italy which, in his words, “is a fundamental element of Italian migration policy”.
“I am proud”, said the Minister, “of the joint work we have done in recent years to bring assistance to migrants in Africa and to combat the networks of human traffickers who exploit irregular migration”.
Yesterday’s meeting allowed a fruitful exchange of views on the migration situation in North Africa and the Sahel, with particular regard to Libya, where the collaboration between IOM and Italy guarantees indispensable assistance services to migrants stranded in that country. In this regard, Minister Di Maio reiterated that “although the volume of irregular flows has dropped considerably, the situation in Libya remains our priority and we intend to continue to fully support the activities of UN agencies on the ground to ensure the improvement of living conditions of migrants, refugees, displaced persons and host communities”.
Finally, the Italian Minister confirmed to Vitorino Italy’s commitment on migration issues, through the instruments available, starting with the Migration Fund, which from this year will allow Italy to operate in all priority crisis areas. This action will continue han in hand with the initiatives carried out by Italy in the field of development cooperation. (@OnuItalia)