Undersecretary Silli at the Italy–Latin America SME Forum on the Lazio agri-food supply chain

The Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Giorgio Silli, took part today in Gaeta at the closing session of the Italy-Latin America SME Forum on the Lazio agri-food supply chain, an event promoted by the Italo-Latin American Institute in cooperation with the Lazio Region and the Regional Agency for the Development and Innovation of Agriculture.

Undersecretary Silli highlighted the strategic importance of Latin America, both for the depth of its historic ties with Italy and for the growing opportunities for economic and trade cooperation with our country. In 2024, Italy exported goods to the region worth EUR 20.9 billion, an increase of 6.7% compared to 2023. Of this, EUR 1.2 billion related to the agri-food sector.

"These are encouraging figures, which are prompting our SMEs - and in particular those based in Lazio - to take an ever greater interest in Latin America," Silli remarked, noting that Lazio's agri-food exports have shown consistent and significant growth in recent years. In 2024, exports reached EUR 1.7 billion, up 18.4% on the previous year.

"This is a particularly favourable moment, which the Italian Foreign Ministry intends to build upon further through the inclusion of Latin America in the Action Plan for Italian Exports - a new growth diplomacy strategy strongly promoted by Minister Tajani - topics that we will also be discussing at the upcoming Italy-Latin America and Caribbean Conference," Silli concluded.