On September 12, 2025, at the Embassy of Italy in Lusaka, the new Italian Cooperation Office/AICS was inaugurated, a strategic hub to strengthen development partnerships in Zambia and Malawi.
The opening took place as part of the Global Gateway Fact-Finding Mission: African Climate Summit & Lobito Corridor, highlighting Italy’s strong commitment to sustainable development in Southern Africa. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Enrico De Agostini, Ambassador of Italy to Zambia; Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS); Paolo Enrico Sertoli, Head of the AICS Maputo Office; members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Zambia; representatives of Italian Civil Society Organizations; delegates from the Global Gateway Mission and senior officials of the Government of Zambia. Representing AICS were also Paola Abenante, Desk Officer for Africa, Luciana Andreini, Manager of the AICS Office in Lusaka and Miguel Almeida, Communication Officer, AICS Maputo Office.
Italy and Zambia share a partnership that predates Zambia’s independence in 1964, rooted in landmark initiatives such as the Kariba Dam, built in the 1950s by a consortium of Italian companies, the FIAT assembly plant in Livingstone and the Indeni Refinery, built by AGIP. Alitalia also played a pivotal role in establishing Zambia Airways and training its pilots.
Bilateral ties have grown even stronger in recent years. The visit of President Sergio Mattarella in 2022 stated Italy’s commitment to Zambia, which was confirmed by President Hichilema’s return visit to Rome in November 2023. In June 2024, following a visit by a high-level Italian delegation led by Director General Stefano Gatti, the country was designated a priority partner for the Italian Cooperation and placed under the coordination of the AICS Maputo Office.
In his welcome speech, the Ambassador of Italy to Zambia, H.E. Enrico De Agostini, said that “While the signature of a bilateral Framework Cooperation Agreement is still pending, we are already pressing ahead with concrete initiatives, fully aligned with the principles of the Mattei Plan”.
Director AICS – Marco Riccardo Rusconi
Among these initiatives is a €6 million investment in the Northern and Copperbelt provinces, within the Lobito Corridor region, focused on restoring biodiversity in degraded ecosystems, strengthening value chains such as honey, legumes, and mushrooms, and promoting inclusive business models. Complementing this, the AIM Zambia Project will address the severe impacts of El Niño by strengthening resilience through agriculture, nutrition, water and sanitation, and social inclusion interventions.
The new Lusaka office will also be responsible for initiatives funded by the Italian Cooperation in Malawi, where it is supporting projects in sustainable agriculture, coffee sector development, and health.
As underlined by Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of AICS: “Italy has been active in Zambia for over sixty years, but what has been missing in the last 30 years was development Cooperation and a dedicated physical space to coordinate our growing engagement. Today, with the opening of this office, we mark a new chapter.”
 Miguel Almeida- Communication Officer AICS Maputo and Luciana Andreini – Manager of the AICS Lusaka Office |
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