Italy’s Minister of Economic Development visits Belize

He is the highest Italian government official to visit. The government announced today that Claudio Scajola, the Minister of Economic Development, was on a brief official visit. Scajola arrived this morning and met in Belize City with the PM Dean Barrow, Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington and his counterpart, Minister Erwin Contreras. A declaration was released at the end of the official talks in which both sides discussed the possibility of expanding economic and commercial relations and ways to stimulate investments. It is also known that before wrapping up his trip, the Italian minister will visit certain parts of the country, including the Placencia peninsula where a number of Italians reside. Of note is that the meeting took place at the new offices of the government at the Western Union Building on Coney drive, which is reportedly to be used as the office of the prime Minister’s wife, Kim Simpliss Barrow.