The Secretary General of the CIHEAM met the Director General of the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development (AICS)

On the occasion of the 17th edition of the International Cooperation Days, held at CIHEAM Bari from 15 to 19 January, the Secretary General of the CIHEAM, Mr Teodoro Miano, met the Director General of AICS, Mr Marco Riccardo Rusconi, in the presence of the Director of the CIHEAM Bari, Mr Maurizio Raeli.

The Secretary General recalled that, since its establishment, the role of the CIHEAM has been to anchor its action as much as possible in the territories, in close collaboration with the national authorities, in order to respond as well as possible to the aspirations and needs of local communities. This grassroots approach open to consultation and multi-stakeholder collaboration allows the CIHEAM to observe developments in the rural and agricultural world and to take part in international dialogue and cooperation. In this sense, the territorial anchorage of the Institutes is a central hub for cooperation in the Mediterranean.

The important and growing place occupied by the CIHEAM Bari within the Italian cooperation has been raised by the General Director, who congratulated the Institute for the organisation of the International Cooperation Days. He highlighted the importance of the exchange of information and experiences between the coordinators of the cooperation programmes of the AICS and the CIHEAM Bari working in the field.

"The CIHEAM has a wealth of experience thanks to its 60 years of existence. It has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to combine high-level scientific research with action on the ground, knowledge of territorial dynamics and the ability to identify needs," said Mr Rusconi, before concluding his speech with the wish to promote skills and experience of the CIHEAM Bari for the Mattei Plan of the Italian government.