Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is on an official visit to Beijing, announced she was signing a three-year action plan to revive cooperation with China.
Italy had last year pulled out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), having been the only G7 country to sign up in 2019 to the infrastructure and transportation plan that seeks to build a sort of modern-day Silk Road.
The ANSA news agency reported that Meloni made the announcement at the start of a meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang in Beijing on July 28. The Beijing visit marks the first official visit of Meloni since she became PM in 2022.
‘I am very happy to be here for this government’s first official trip, which has been preceded by several high-level meetings, as a demonstration of the will to start a new phase, to relaunch our bilateral cooperation in the year that marks the 20th anniversary of our global strategic partnership’. said Meloni.
Chinese ambassador to Italy, Jia Guide said that on Sunday, Meloni addressed the 7th China Italy Business Forum in Beijing where she also attended the signing ceremony for agreements together with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Both countries signed a three-year plan to strengthen collaboration in areas including trade, investment, education, environmental protection and food security.” Qiang said in a statement on X Meloni said that six agreements had been signed in fields ranging from industry to food safety and education.
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