New SIMEST financial instruments to support Italian enterprises in Africa

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Antonio Tajani, spoke today at the Foreign Ministry at the Conference "Financial Instruments for the Internationalisation of Italian Enterprises", organised jointly with Simest.

During the event, which was opened by the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Maria Tripodi, SIMEST's new subsidised finance measure worth EUR 200 million (the so-called Quota Attanasio) was presented, based on Fund 394/81, which supports the internationalisation of Italian enterprises, especially SMEs. The new measure is reserved for companies that are permanently established or intend to establish in Africa, for companies exporting to or sourcing from Africa, and for those in the relevant supply chains

In his speech, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Antonio Tajani, said: "Since the beginning of my term of office, I have wanted to give priority to Africa in Italian foreign policy action: the government is strongly committed to building a strategic and equal partnership with Africa, as demonstrated by the Mattei Plan for Africa and the centrality given to it, also in the framework of our G7 Presidency." He stressed: "This new measure will provide further momentum to our productive fabric and our territories towards Africa's markets for creating lasting and mutually beneficial business collaborations."

During the event, Deputy Prime Minister Tajani delivered to six students from Perugia's University for Foreigners the certificates of participation in projects for the promotion of Italian products carried out at Simest and implemented in their respective countries.

Besides Undersecretary Maria Tripodi, the President and the CEO of Simest, Pasquale Salzano and Regina Corradini D'Arienzo, the President of Italian Trade Agency, Matteo Zoppas, the Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister and Coordinator of the Mattei Plan mission structure, Fabrizio Saggio, the President of Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo, Massimo Dal Checco, and the CEO of Pelliconi Spa, Marco Cecchi, also spoke at the Conference.