Doha - Young Qatari designer Hissa Al Haddad launched her own line of Italian made luxury women's shoes yesterday at Salam Stores in The Gate Mall. The Hissa Haddad 'Capsule' collection, which marked its international launch at the Paris Fashion Week in October, is the debut collection of the talented designer. Inspired by Islamic architecture and Qatari culture, the elegant collection of five designs which come in different colours, are embellished with gold, pearls and gems. 

'Hissa Haddad' is the first Qatari women's shoe brand made by Italian manufacturers to Italian standards using high quality Italian materials which was a product of a fruitful collaboration with Italian Chamber in Qatar.  

Italian Ambassador to Qatar Pasquale Salzano said: "Italian SMEs are the backbone of our economy and in this particular moment while Qatar is focusing on SMEs our knowhow and the 'family run enterprise style' are elements that can create an ideal synergy for local companies seeking to initiate production.

Italians are flexible, able to work under pressure and have an innate passion for style and quality." The Italian envoy has expressed full support to Qatari entrepreneurs as Qatar drives towards self-sufficiency. "We are proud to share our expertise with young entrepreneurs. From fashion to jewellery to furniture, we can support fully the ideas of Qatari entrepreneurs allowing them to achieve their goals yet guaranteeing Italian quality and style. The free zone in Manateq and the Made in Qatar programme both represent exceptional opportunities to avail of. These plans will definitely encourage many successful Italian Qatari business ventures," he said.
It took more than a year to turn Hissa's project to reality through the support of Italian Chamber.
Palma Libotte Chairperson of the Italian Chamber, said: "I was delighted that a Qatari lady entrepreneur approached the Italian chamber for services. We at the Chamber supported her to find the best Italian companies of shoemakers through our vast network of contacts in Italy. We travelled to Italy with her to le Marche and had many meetings. We personally met all the suppliers. Italian companies are more responsive to governmental organizations like the Italian Chamber in Qatar, therefore we got great attention."

She added: "We would like to welcome all Qatari entrepreneurs that wish to launch their productions in Italy with private labelling from fashion, to jewellery to furniture and lots more. we are here to support them."
Hissa said many international buyers have expressed interest in the brand and that she had already finalised a new collection which she would unveil at the London Fashion Week next month.

Rome - Nature, arts, history, food and wine from four regions at the heart of Italy. Abruzzo, Latium, Marche and Umbria continue their "teamwork" through a single, integrated tourist offer that can attract and engage visitors not just from Italy, but also from the rest of Europe. After launching the "Central Italy. Emotions around you" campaign at the London WTM, the largest event for the global tourism industry, Central Italy is going for the European markets. As both the spring Bank Holidays and the 2018 summer season approach, the Heart of Italy will start a veritable 'promo tour', to present the campaign developed with the National Tourist Agency at all the main events and trade shows in Europe. The first stop will be Zrich, where the FESPO takes place from Thursday 25 January to Sunday 28 January. It is the largest tourist show in the Swiss market, with nearly 63 thousand visitors and 650 exhibitors in its last edition. Why Switzerland? The country is one of the main markets sending flows of tourists to Italy, with a growing trend since 2016 and encouraging prospects for the future: the main Swiss tour operators estimate 5%-6% growth of tourist demand in 2018, after a very positive 2017 season. 

Hanoi - Italy hopes Vietnam to continue to connect Italian businesses with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), expressed Italian Deputy Minister for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, Andrea Olivero, at a recent workshop entitled “Vietnam - Gateway to Asia - Opportunities for Italian small-and medium-sized enterprises” in Rome. Vietnam has proved a reliable partner of Italy in the region, he said, adding that Italy is willing to share experience with Vietnam in the research and application of new technology, according to Vietnamese Embassy. Accordingly, Olivero also emphasises on the increase in the two-way trade between Italy and Vietnam in the recent years after the two nations established bilateral strategic partnership in 2013. Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy, Cao Chinh Thien, described Vietnam as a promising market with a large population of more than 90 million and an ideal destination to develop business in automation, footwear, garment-textile, services, fashion and agriculture. The Southeast Asian country also serves as a gateway to access the ASEAN market, offering opportunities for Italian investors to bring technology and high-quality goods to Vietnam and other ASEAN member states, the Vietnamese Ambassador added. Both Italy and Vietnam have strengths in agriculture and their products are supplementary. Italy is famous for cheese, wine and fruit while Vietnam is strong at farm and aquatic products, he said. Vietnamese Trade Counselor in Italy, Nguyen Duc Thanh, introduced cooperation opportunities in Vietnam with low production cost and numerous preferential policies. The workshop was co-organised by Unioncamere, Chamber of Commerce Italy Vietnam and Vietnamese Embassy in Italy. Vietnam is a country that offers a promising expanding market with GDP growth of over 6% in recent years and increasing consumer purchasing power. Vietnamese Prime Minister, on receiving Italian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Ivan Scalfarotto in November, 2017 suggested Italian firms increase investments in Vietnam, adding that the Vietnamese Government would create favourable conditions for Italian investors. He listed a number of spheres for bilateral cooperation, including tourism, green technology, transport, and infrastructure and stressed the need to open a direct air route between Italy and Vietnam.
 
 
 

Tripoli - The Italian ambassador to Libya, Giuseppe Perrone, said that his country's support to Libya comes with the approval and measures of the Libyan state represented in the Presidential Council and that does not represent any breach of Libyan sovereignty. In a meeting with the member of the Presidential Council, Abdel Salam Kajman, in Tripoli on Monday, Perrone explained that they are coordinating to implement a humanitarian assistance program in southern Libya at the request of 20 municipalities from the south.
He clarified that the aid will include medicines, medical equipment and generators, noting that the Italian approach is based on supporting Libya to restore security.
For his part, Kajman insisted on the importance of strengthening the relations between the two countries and in assisting Libya in its efforts to achieve stability.

Addis Ababa - The European Unit Training Mission-Somalia (EUTM-S) Commander, Brigadier General Pietro Addis, when asked by AGI to talk about his mission in Somalia, only spoke of confidence and satisfaction.  Those feelings are both for the EUTM mission and for his soldiers, whom he continuously urges to act with a serious and sacrifical spirit.
Addis’s mission in Somalia is a European Union training program with the aim to contribute to the reconstruction of the Ministry of Defense and of the Somali National Army. These two institutions are indeed fundamental in Somalia where there cannot be any real development and reconstruction without security.
His mission is all about building excellent relationships with his counterparts in Somalia. “Relations with local security forces are generally good - he says - even though one must be aware that EUTM is only one of the International Community’s actors operating in Somalia, specifically in Mogadishu, and it is therefore easy to imagine how difficult it is for them to interact with so many and diverse entities. What Commander Addis states is true, nowadays you can find in Mogadishu many International Organizations (United Nations, European Union, African Union ) and single nations (Usa, UK, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, in addition to the AMISOM’s Troop Contributing Countries), only to mention a few, “whose actions - Addis highlights - are not always well coordinated and totally disinterested”.
While interviewing him the words that he uses the most are: “respect for the counterparts”. “Our extreme sensitivity bears fruitfulness - he mentions with satisfaction - I’m sure our counterparts perceive us as a disinterested support, honest and free from hidden agendas. Therefore, we place ourselves as a partner dedicated to proposing a different approach to military issues without upsetting their national identity and without pretending to change their traditions and their culture.” The fact that the Companies he trains at the General Dhagabadan Training Camp (GDTC) sing the national Somali anthem daily is quite the demonstration of such open attitude.
Soldiers carrying out the activities under the command of General Addis in Mogadishu belong to eleven Member States and to a Third State. The mission, in addition to its staff, is organized on three fundamental components: the Advisory team, under the command of an Italian Colonel, the Training team, under the command of a Spanish Colonel and the security component, led by an Italian captain.
The training team performs its functions at the GDTC, while the advisory team at the Ministry of Defense and at the headquarter of the Somali Armed Forces. Their protection, both during their movements in town and during their various activities in structures scattered throughout the city, is ensured by the security component of the mission.
During this chunk of the mission, in a city steadily subject to Al-Shabab's terrorist attacks, soldiers face various risks that General Addis calls "unquantifiable". He highlights that "those are risks that are mitigated by many factors: individual training, meticulous work on movement's planning, study of the itineraries and knowledge of contingency plans to be applied without hesitation when certain situations occur."
The enemy that Addis and his soldiers fight every day with the strong belief of being there to play "a fundamental and delicate role in the reconstruction process of this unfortunate nation (General Addis)" is Al-Shabaab.
Al Shabaab, born from the ashes of the deceased Unions of the Islamic Courts, had settled in Mogadishu around 2006. It was expelled later by the forces of AMISOM, the African Union Mission to Somalia, a peacekeeping mission operated by the AU with approval by the UN, and driven mainly in the southern part of the nation, is now considered a terrorist organization that has found its place in the Somali degraded environment and in the void left by the institutions. 
This movement, as a characterizing element of its actions, has imposed in the territories it controls, the full application of the Sharia. This considerably limits not only the freedom of the Somali citizens living in these areas but also, in fact, their human rights.
"Al Shabaab - Commander Addis deems - represents a brake to the country's development". He believes it is the real obstacle to overcome as a precondition to gain a Country able to rule itself and to generate, through its own natural resources, the funds it needs to finance serious and responsible institutions. Saying responsible Addis means structures that can be able, in the future, to support the population itself, often plagued by natural disasters such as famine and the very severe drought that is also characterizing this period. "In this process, of course, - Addis concludes - Somalia will not be left alone and will not be abandoned: the International Community has reaffirmed, even during the security and development conference of last December, its commitment to assist the fragile Somali institutions in this difficult path of growth". 

Abu Dhabi - David Trezeguet inaugurates the Juventus Academy Abu Dhabi, the Academy joins Dubai for second Juve Academy in Uae. After joining the Uae Official Juventus Fan Club and Juventus Academy Dubai for a Bianconeri celebration, Trezeguet was a busy man heading to Abu Dhabi to inaugurate the second Juventus Academy in the Uae. 

    Following the successful academy in Dubai, the second Uae Academy has opened at the Abu Dhabi Cricket Club further displaying the great increase in the Juventus Academies in the Gulf Countries where the project is already present in Dubai, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. Trezeguet made the inauguration even more special kicking things off in style before hosting an event in the evening at the Saadiyat Beach Club where Italian Ambassador to the Uae, Liborio Stellino, a big Juventus fan, was honored with his own Juventus jersey.

    Trezeguet also met with His Excellence Aref Al Awani, the Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Sports council during his time in Abu Dhabi. Juventus Academy Abu Dhabi aims at helping young footballers take their first steps into the football world by educating them with the Juventus method, known as one of the best in the world and followed in over 80 projects. Composed exclusively of high level professionals providing the best experience on and off the field, Juventus Academy Abu Dhabi has a team of coaches, specifically selected for their enthusiasm and qualifications.

    The coaches hold Italian Football Federation and Uefa certificates in addition to their years of experience both in Italy and the Uae. Our team is trained and approved by Juventus, which will send the Area Manager to Abu Dhabi for 30 days to coordinate the training activities along with our Head Coach.

    Along with Juventus Academy Dubai, our teams will also fly to Italy for the Juventus Training Experience: goo.gl/PqRGC2 (Album) goo.gl/emWFuM (Juventus.com news) from March 28th to April 1st 2018. During the season, our selected teams 2006 & 2007 will fly to Torino for the Juventus Academy International Cup, facing all the Juventus Academy worldwide.

Addis Ababa - The project "Improving the Sustainability and Inclusiveness of the Ethiopian Coffee Value Chain through Private and Public Partnership", funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), represents a productive example of a Public-Private Partnership initiative to support and improve the Ethiopian coffee value chain.
Thanks to a constructive and fruitful engagement with the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Development and Marketing Authority, and the partnership with Illycaffe' and the Ernesto Illy Foundation, the project aims to become replicable experience for UNIDO and its partners. The project unfolds through three levels of intervention (the field-crop production and soil management level, the value chain level and the institutional level), and aims to strengthen the Ethiopian coffee sector by adding value to the coffee produced in the country.
The project's activities include, but are not limited to: capacity building and training for more than 9.000 coffee farmers in Aleta Wondo (Southern Nation Nationalities and People Regional State) and Delo Mena (Oromia State); the renovation of 15 coffee farmers' cooperatives washing stations and coffee drying stations. Technical support and development of a tailor-made business plan for the Sidama Coffee Farmers' Cooperatives Union and the Burka Yadot Cooperative Union; technical support and capacity building for the Ethiopian Coffee Roasters Association; capacity building for institutions by way of international study tours to the main coffee producing and exporting countries; the development of a comprehensive communication strategy for the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Development and Marketing Authority, as well as for the creation of national branding and marketing strategy for "Ethiopian Coffee".  Moreover, though the fruitful engagement with ECTDMA, illycaffe' and the Ernesto Illy Foundation, the project is working to establish the Coffee Training Centre (CTC) in Addis Ababa, based on the model of the Universita' del Caffe'. The CTC will enable Ethiopian coffee stakeholders to improve their knowledge and skills.
Furthermore, illycaffe' and Fondazione Ernesto Illy each year offer a scholarship to a young Ethiopian coffee practitioner to attend the six-month Coffee Economics and Science Master's course at the Universita' del Caffe' in Trieste, Italy. 

Accra - The Ambassador of Italy Giovanni Favilli is glad to announce to all Ghanaian graduate students that the third edition of the scholarship programme “Invest Your Talent in Italy (IYT)” has been officially launched.  The programme provides graduates with a unique opportunity to continue their studies in one of the leading Italian Universities and to experience an internship in one of the top Italian companies.  Invest Your Talent in Italy offers an opportunity to develop their skills through a range of Master’s and Postgraduate courses in English geared towards improving your academic, technical and professional skills, and on?the?job training at leading Italian companies while completing their academic work that provides knowledge for your future career. Postgraduate courses in Engineering, Advanced Technologies, Architecture, Design, Economics and Management at top Italian Universities designed in close cooperation with key businesses will boost their job prospects within a competitive landscape. There are also Italian language and culture courses, for the benefit of all the students, to provide an opportunity for closer social and intellectual integration during the stay in Italy. Admission to one of the Invest Your Talent in Italy courses offers the opportunity of being beneficiary of scholarships, partial or total tuition fee exemption, and student support services.
The scholarship is worth 8,000 euros per year and, in case of attendance of a two?year course, it can be renewed for the second academic year. General entry qualification required: a three or four-year bachelor’s degree. Specific entry requirements will depend on the chosen course. Applications must be sent by February 28th, 2018 throughhttp://investyourtalentapplication.esteri.it.
Invest Your Talent in Italy is a Programme sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, ICE ? Italian Trade Agency and Uni–Italia (Centre for the academic promotion and orientation of study in Italy) in collaboration with Unioncamere (Italian Chambers of Commerce), Confindustria (Confederation of Italian Industry) and in partnership with leading Italian companies. IYT provides scholarships to students from 15 countries. Ghana is the only country selected from West Africa.

Strasbourg - Michele Nicoletti (Italy, SOC) was  elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Taking over from Stella Kyriakides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), he is the 31st President of the Assembly since 1949 and the second Italian to hold this office. There was only one candidate. Under the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, the President serves for a one-year term of office, which may be renewed once.
In his inaugural address, the newly-elected President called for increased unity of the Council of Europe “as the only European institution that brings together 47 countries around the values of human rights, democracy, the rule of law and acceptance of its European Court”. “At a time of great and dramatic challenges – from terrorism to migration, from poverty old and new to mistrust in representative institutions, from the re-emergence of racism and xenophobia to the desperate solitude of so many people – we must offer a response to nationalist and chauvinistic temptations to close ranks, to centrifugal pressures and to conflicts by reasserting the need for peace and justice on our continent,” he said.
”As a pan-European political forum and a statutory body of our Organisation, the Assembly should fully play its role in addressing these challenges. This requires the active involvement of all members and delegations from all 47 member States. In this context, I regret that the Russian Parliament has not put forward a delegation for the 2018 Ordinary Session. Nevertheless, dialogue with Russian parliamentarians – as well as with all other delegations – continues, with due respect to our rules and obligations.”
“This reflection on our identity, which the Assembly will decide how to develop, appears to me to represent an extraordinary opportunity for our institution to reassert forcefully its own role as the guardian of European unity. I strongly believe that all member States of the Council of Europe must participate in this process,” the newly-elected PACE President underlined. “In performing this task, we must not cease to openly denounce any violation of human rights committed in any part of our continent and by any authority. There cannot and must not be any free zones. However, this defence of human rights will be even stronger if we are able to combine it with an ever increasing unity between our peoples. We must tirelessly seek to emphasise what unites us,” he said.

Rome - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, attended the meeting of the Inter-ministerial Development Cooperation Committee (CICS), which was held today at Palazzo Chigi. During the meeting, which was chaired by the Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, a three-year programming and policy direction document was signed for the 2017-2019 period. It is the main strategic point of reference of Italy's Cooperation system.
The Committee also approved the Report on the implementation of cooperation policies of 2016 and the Guidelines for cooperation projects in the field of "Energy and Development"."During my recent mission to Niger, Senegal and Guinea Conakry- Minister Alfano said - I was able to personally feel the appreciation and gratitude that, at all levels, are expressed to Italy for the many projects developed by our Cooperation system, which is a key pillar of the action conducted by the government, and a means to enhance the way Italy is perceived abroad." 
"In 2016 the Official Development Assistance (ODA) totalled 4.5 billion euros, accounting for 0.27% of the Gross National Income, with a substantial increase compared to 2015. The three-year programming and policy direction document, which we approved today, shows our determination to further strengthen our commitment in this field, as well as provide the Italian Cooperation system with shared strategic policies, that meet the highest international standards," minister Alfano said.