Minister Paolo Gentiloni visits Niger, Mali and Senegal

By Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy

Migration will be the main issue on the agenda of Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, during his visit to Niger, Mali and Senegal. Italy intends to follow up on the Migration compact and on its commitment for Africa, which will also be expressed when sitting on the UN Security Council in 2017.

The main challenge is to reduce migration flows across the central Mediterranean. The key to the solution is to support the Countries of origin and transit in re-establishing stability and security, by assuring better living conditions to local populations. Niger, Mali and Senegal are considered to be strategic in this sense. Minister Gentiloni’s mission aims to offer support to these Countries in order to gradually remove the causes of underdevelopment, helping local Governments to combat illegal migrations, terrorism and illegal trafficking. With this perspective in mind, Italy intends to raise funds at EU and national level, also through a coordinated action with the EU Member States that are more directly concerned and with the European Commission.