More and more ASEAN development partners

Italy confirms its partnership role with a new mission to Indonesia

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, AICS, Hanoi Office delegation, composed of Margherita Lulli, Head of Development Cooperation, Michele Boario, Program Coordinator and Luciana Andreini, Italy-ASEAN Partnership Coordinator, took part in the fourth meeting of the Steering Committee at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, together with the Italian Ambassador to Jakarta, Benedetto Latteri and the Counselor Ruben Caruccio held on November 28. During the meeting, both institutions renewed their commitments to the Partnership, which sees Italy as a supportive development partner in Cooperation for politics and security, economic and socio-cultural, for the promotion of connectivity, and the reduction of the development gap. “This Committee for Italy is a useful tool for sharing experiences and projects of mutual interest for common economic and social growth. The Committee is also an instrument for supporting ASEAN and its centrality in the Indo-Pacific, as reiterated during the outreach session for the Indo-Pacific of the G7 just held in Fiuggi,” declared Ambassador Latteri. The AICS Hanoi Office, with the recent opening of Jakarta’s project office, as a technical and operational unit, is a driving force for innovative Cooperation in the Region, especially regarding environmental issues. “Italian Cooperation looks to ASEAN as an engine of sustainable and equitable development for the entire Region, particularly exposed to the effects of climate change and natural disasters. In this context, the contribution of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation is part of the ASEAN Net Zero Agenda and the development of a low-emission and inclusive economy through the implementation of initiatives for the benefit of the entire population in the area” said Margherita Lulli on the sidelines of the meeting. Currently, AICS Hanoi has three active development cooperation initiatives with ASEAN, specifically in combating climate change, health, food security, and sustainable rural development, including fisheries and aquaculture. The presence of the AICS Hanoi office in Jakarta was also an opportunity to confirm the commitment to a wider integration within the area by reducing development gaps between ASEAN Member States and by sharing a cooperation model focused on measurable change, transparency and sustainability through the Results-Based Management approach and Theory of Change in the definition and implementation of initiatives of common interest.