Italy at the EU-Somalia Economic Forum in Mogadishu

(ANSA) - NAIROBI, 13 OTT - The 2026 edition of the EU-Somalia Business Forum was held in Mogadishu, bringing together government officials, international diplomats, private-sector leaders, investors, and development partners for a historic two-day summit focused on unlocking high-potential Somali markets for European investors. The Italian delegation, led and coordinated by the Italian Embassy in Somalia, brought together representatives from Sistema Italia, including Pier Mario Daccò Coppi, Italian Ambassador to Somalia, Fabio Minniti, head of the Nairobi office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), and Claudio Pasqualucci, Director of the Addis Ababa office of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), who is also responsible for Somalia, along with representatives from the Italian private sector. Italy’s participation reflected a coordinated approach that combines diplomatic engagement, development cooperation, trade and investment promotion, and private-sector involvement, within the broader framework of European efforts aimed at strengthening economic partnerships with Somalia. Under the theme “Investing in Somalia: Unlocking High-Potential Markets,” the Forum brought together Somali authorities, European companies and investors, development partners, and other key stakeholders. It served as an important platform for exploring investment opportunities, promoting partnerships between Somali and European companies, and discussing the conditions necessary to unlock Somalia’s economic potential and support the sustainable development of the private sector. 
 “Italy is committed to strengthening its partnership with Somalia and supporting opportunities that contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth, job creation, and increased investment. The EU-Somalia Business Forum offers an important platform for transforming these opportunities into concrete initiatives,” said Ambassador Daccò Coppi. Among the main discussions was the roundtable titled “Fisheries and the Blue Economy: Transforming Somalia’s Coastline into Sustainable Prosperity,” during which representatives from the Somali Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy, AICS Nairobi, and the Somali private-sector fishing industry examined how marine resources can promote sustainable and inclusive growth and decent jobs, while protecting ocean ecosystems. Speaking at the roundtable, the head of AICS Nairobi, Minniti, emphasized that “the Somali coastline is an extraordinary economic resource, but a coastline alone does not constitute a business model.”
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