On 21 October 2024, the Centro Incontri Diplomatici (Centre for Diplomatic Encounters), in collaboration with the Federazione Nazionale dei Diplomatici e Consoli Esteri in Italia (National Federation of Foreign Diplomats and Consuls in Italy) organised an important congress on Africa with the title: “AFRICA – Economy, resources, and programmes – New challenges for the future”. The encounter, held online on the Zoom platform, was attended by several North African, sub-Saharan, and African island nations; a total of 18 participating countries.
The introductory speeches of the Cremona-based institutions were followed by in-depth discussions regarding the continent’s development prospects, with a focus on economy, resources, and programmes; the participants examined various topics, ranging from the analysis of the Italian government’s Mattei Plan to the implementation of investment economic strategies in certain countries, and international cooperation projects in key development sectors, such as healthcare and education.
The encounter was attended by the representatives of several African countries, professors from Italian Universities, representatives of healthcare or voluntary associations, and representatives of Italian undertakings, with the aim of jointly discussing and gaining insights on the challenges and opportunities that the African continent offers in the near future.
To this end, Ocrim, ambassador of Italian Made, was invited as an example of the key role that Italy and Italian undertakings can play in the economic and agri-food development of the continent. In his speech, Fabien Chaput, senior area manager of Ocrim, presented the company’s projects for investment in the African market, highlighting how a company like Ocrim – a leader in the milling industry – can contribute to the agri-food sector.
There followed various interventions aimed at strengthening the collaboration between the various entities involved to find solutions to extremely thorny questions, such as the migration crisis and the energy transition.
In general, the congress made clear the importance of supporting a closer cooperation between Europe, Italy, and Africa to promote sustainable development and economic growth.
