Cooperation ​Convention signed today by MAECI, the Italian Development Cooperation Agency and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti

The Cooperation Convention was signed today by MAECI, the Italian Development Cooperation Agency and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. The Convention which is a fundamental step in the implementation of the Cooperation Reform Act (Act 125 of 11 August 2014) was signed by the Director General for Development Cooperation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Giampaolo Cantini, by the Director of the Italian Development Cooperation Agency, Laura Frigenti, and by the Business Development Director of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Bernardo Bini Smaghi. Thanks to the Convention, the Ministry and the Agency will be able to address the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti for the preliminary activities and management of the financial aspects of development cooperation initiatives and for structuring financial products for development within the framework of agreements with European or international financial organizations and for participating in European Union programmes. As pointed out by the Vice-Minister, Mario Giro, who was present at the signing of the Convention, this is one of the most significant and innovative aspects of the reform whose aim is to attract resources from the private sector for implementing cooperation activities. “The signing of the Convention today is important because it completes the preparation of the three summits on cooperation”, Mr Giro said. “We now have an integrated system consisting of the Ministry, the Agency and the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti – the Vice-Minister concluded, that is essential for accessing European funds and for taking blending initiatives and public-private partnerships”.