Partnerships are “the real secret to making a qualitative leap” in development initiatives, while involving the private sector can be a valid “response to the general reduction in international development aid. But Italy remains committed to its obligations, as also demonstrated by the Mattei Plan.”
This is the belief of Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), in an interview with the Dire agency on the sidelines of the sixth edition of Codeway Expo 2025, the international cooperation and sustainable development fair, promoted by Fiera Roma and Internationalia at the Fiera di Roma exhibition center.
Many key topics were addressed during this second day as well, including energy, procurement, and agri-food supply chains.
“Codeway is more than just a fair,” the Director explained. “It is a moment of meeting, dialogue, and partnership-building, also thanks to the participation of a significant share of the private sector, which we want to increasingly involve in development cooperation in terms of technology transfer, know-how, and the creation of decent jobs,” alongside civil society, universities, research centers, and, of course, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AICS, and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti—the three main institutional players.
In this team effort, “the Mattei Plan has given a strong boost, both on the Italian side and with partner countries in Africa,” Rusconi said. “By involving private actors, we are also trying to increase funds for public development aid,” not only in financial terms but also “through the technological innovation that these countries need,” the Director emphasized. “This can also serve as a response to the general decline in cooperation funding that we are witnessing at the international level.”
However, Rusconi assured that Italy “remains firmly committed to its responsibilities—indeed, the Mattei Plan has reinforced this commitment, increasing both the quantity and quality of our efforts, while also promoting inclusiveness and long-term sustainability.”
