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President Museveni met with an Italian delegation led by Mario Savona, the deputy ambassador of Italy to Uganda. Savona conveyed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s desire to revive ties with African nations and invited President Museveni to a meeting in Rome.

At State House Entebbe, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni conferred with an Italian delegation.

Mario Savona, the deputy ambassador of Italy to Uganda, served as the delegation’s leader.

Additional participants in the delegation included Betty Atuhura of the Italian Trade Agency’s Kampala office, Riccardo Zucconi, Director of the Italian Trade Agency, and Fabio Ricci, Deputy Director General, Responsible for Internationalization at Federunacoma (Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation).

Savona informed the President that Giorgia Meloni, the recently appointed Italian President of the Council of Ministers, wants to revive Italy’s ties with African nations during the meeting on Thursday at State House Entebbe.

“Meloni has called for a meeting to hear some voices of African leaders at the end of January after the NAM and G-77 Summits. The meeting will be in Rome, Italy, she will appreciate it if you attend,” Savona said.

“She wants to launch a new partnership with Africa. Italy and Africa have common traditions and roots. We would be very happy to renew and strengthen our partnership.”

According to a release from the Presidential Press Unit, Museveni responded in the affirmative.

“Making a connection with those young leaders will be beneficial. The President stated that Italy and Uganda can cooperate well because Italy has long supported Africa’s development. “I may come to encourage the Italians to drink more coffee and tea,” the President said.

However, Savona also disclosed that, as a result of their belief in the opportunities and potential of the continent, Italy will lead the G-77 next year, with Africa playing a key role.

He also told President Museveni that Italy is prepared to assist Uganda in using agricultural technology to produce high-value crops with added value.

“We have already received land in Iganga to set up a mechanization center. We shall provide agricultural machinery for the farmers. We think this is very good because we think Uganda is blessed with great weather and abundant water so it could become a food hub for the whole East Africa region,” he said.

“Italy is the biggest importer of Ugandan food crops among the European countries. We are the first one to import coffee. We feel that Uganda could improve productivity with the Parish Development Model, but we want to give a hand to you by giving you tractors and other machinery.”