Italy Joins Partnership to Develop Balkan Region
With the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Rome on July 17, Italy joined the U.S. and Greece in an innovative public-private partnership to stimulate sustainable economic growth, energy security, increased job opportunities, and overall stability in Southeast Europe. The U.S.-Greek alliance, formed between USAID and Hellenic Aid, was announced in June.
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| Thomas F. Mefford, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia (center), pictured with Angelo Canale, Head of Italy’s Department of Tourism (left) and Giandomenico Magliano, Director General for Economic Cooperation and Multilateral Finance, Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (right) at the MOU signing in Rome, establishing an international, public-private partnership to energize Southeast Europe’s economy through development of its tourism sector. |
The partnership aims to produce jobs, by opening the region’s unique cultural and natural attractions to global markets, while building businesses, products and services to accommodate tourists and developing the infrastructure to support a growing economy. The Adriatic Economic Development Initiative (part of USAID’s Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance) will encourage American, Greek, and Italian business investment and create incentives to attract cruise lines, hotels, restaurants, resort owners, and other tourist industry operators to join the partnership. To date, 13 American private sector organizations have pledged to become participating partners and match U.S. government funding of this initiative.
Developing a robust tourism sector in Southeast Europe will benefit the region by creating new markets for increased investment and business development—an exciting prospect for the American, Italian, and Greek development partners.
“Our joint initiative will unleash unprecedented opportunities for our tourism industries, generate substantial investment potential in the region’s broad tourist services sector and in developing new, alternative energy sources--energy sources that would also protect the environment,” said Thomas F. Mefford, USAID’s deputy assistant administrator for Europe and Eurasia, who negotiated with the Italians and Greeks to form the partnership.
"I am very satisfied with the agreement we have made, which will facilitate the interchange of investments and support for tourism in the involved countries," stated Michela Vittoria Brambilla, Italy’s Undersecretary of Tourism.
The Southeast Europe initiative is envisioned for eventual expansion throughout the Adriatic.
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