The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, participated in the second Mediterranean dialogue on the food crisis in Italy.

Minister Xhaçka praised the Italian counterpart for the work done to address this crisis, as she announced that Albania would join the Group of Friends of Food Security and Nutrition chaired by Italy.

“On behalf of Albania, I would like to express our support for the three proposals presented by Italy: Providing financial support for the affected countries in the Mediterranean Region; Establishing an Alliance for Research and Innovation to support farmers in the region and Promoting City-to-City Partnerships for food policies by sharing best practices and solutions. These are all measures that will help address this escalating crisis, and at the same time promote cooperation within our region. And I believe that we have a real opportunity to build in the Mediterranean a model of how this crisis can be managed around the world”, said the Albanian chief diplomat.

Taking action to address global food insecurity, Italy intends to reaffirm its commitment to the Food Security Agenda by organizing this important event, the second in a row, in collaboration with the FAO organization. This event brought together foreign ministers from the countries of the Mediterranean region, including those most affected by food insecurity and those that can contribute to overcoming this crisis.

The participation of MEFA Xhaçka has a valuable contribution for our country, taking into consideration the primary role that Albania has in the UN Security Council. Likewise, Albania’s geographical position in the Mediterranean and taking a leading role, especially for issues related to migration and the food crisis, is in the interest of our country.

Partnership and close cooperation with the Italian side, as one of the most important factors in this region, as well as the contribution we have in FAO, in the direction of projects and initiatives for a sustainable agricultural development in the Mediterranean basin, is also in the interest of both parties.