Read-out of the Director-General’s bilateral meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Antonio Tajani

Rome – Today the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, met at FAO headquarters in Rome with H.E. Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy.

The Director-General thanked the Minister for the long-term generous support from Italy as host country to FAO and many other UN agencies, for the steadfast commitment to achieving a hunger-free world, and looked forward to further strengthening collaboration to tackle global food security challenges.

The Deputy Prime Minister thanked FAO for playing such a crucial role and underlined that the strong cooperation between FAO and Italy on food and agriculture is key, as food is the present and the future. The Minister underlined that Italy wants to be a key player, and recalled the Ministerial-level Mediterranean Dialogue on the Food Security Crisis held in December 2022 in Rome, which stressed the importance of rural investments in Mediterranean countries to help young farmers achieve a better life.

The Director-General thanked Italy for hosting the successful Food Systems Pre-Summit in Rome, in July 2021, and for its strong support to the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub. The Director-General and the Minister agreed to continue their strong collaboration in the follow-up of the UN Food Systems Summit. The Minister underlined Italy’s commitment to supporting the Food Systems Summit follow-up, including in the stocktaking moment in July 2023.

The Director-General thanked Italy for its effective leadership during its G20 presidency in 2021 and looked forward to further working together during the G7 presidency in 2024. The Minister said he look forward to a strong cooperation on food security and the fight against poverty.

The Director-General also thanked Italy for their strong support to the World Food Forum 2022, and that FAO stands ready to continue cooperation in preparation for the 2023 edition of the Forum.

The Director-General also mentioned that 2025 would be an important year for FAO when it celebrates its 80-year anniversary, and highlighted that it counted on Italy’s support to ensure a successful celebration. Minister Tajani confirmed that FAO could count on Italy’s collaboration.