Abidjan – In recent days, the Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), Marco Riccardo Rusconi, accompanied by the Director of the Independent Evaluation Body of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Counsellor Stefano Glinianski, carried out a mission to Côte d’Ivoire to review progress one year after the establishment of the AICS office in Abidjan.
The mission focused on operational achievements and paid particular attention to administrative and organizational aspects, in line with both Italian and Ivorian regulations. Under the guidance of Ambassador Roberta di Lecce, the delegation met with the Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Nialé Kaba, gathering strategic input ahead of the 2026 programming cycle and reviewing current and potential areas for cooperation.
Within a dense schedule prepared by the Head of the Abidjan office, Aldo Cera, the delegation visited a project in Ayamé promoted by the Pavia-based NGO APPA, dedicated to child protection and the strengthening of the cocoa value chain. Meetings were also held with Italian NGOs active in the country, with representatives of the “Sistema Italia” for business internationalisation in cooperation with the private sector, with the EU delegation, the UNDP Resident Coordinator, and the French Development Agency.
The delegation also paid a visit to Narcisse Sepy Yessoh, Director of the National School of Administration, which is involved in a major executive training initiative for senior public officials funded by Italian Cooperation and implemented by the National School of Administration (SNA). Finally, as part of the monitoring of projects financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through AICS, visits were carried out to child protection and rural community development programmes in the Daloa region implemented by Save the Children.
(9colonne)