Italy is ready to support Somalia, Italian Foreign Minister said

This 2016 is crucial year for Somalia with scheduled parliamentary elections later this year, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Tuesday.

“Election years, coming in the middle of ongoing processes of stabilisation, are alway scomplex” Gentiloni told a High Level Partnership Forum on Somalia.

“The recent decision concerning the model for elections is an important step forward” he added.

“Italy is ready to support Somalia” and has already made ” ad hoc financial contributions to the United Nations” Gentiloni said.

“The current political situation in Somalia leaves room for optimism, but more needs to be done” added the minister.

Gentiloni pointed the finger at the Islamic extremists of Al Shabaab, who ” have an audacious operational capacity.”

The African Union mission in Somalia, AMISOM, remains essential for countering the extremists and promoting security, the minister said.

Meanwhile, Italy is committed to supporting the Somali security forces both through the European Union and bilaterally, by providing regular training and equipment for police.

Gentiloni also said approximately 20 million euros have been allocated to Somalia in 2016, of which 14 million through development channels and 6 million in humanitarian aid.

“Our efforts to bring peace to Somalia are rightly also focusing on economic and social aspects and issues of governance,” he said. Adding that a business forum on Somalia will be held in Rome in March.