The Vice Minister for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Maria Tripodi, today reaffirmed firm support of the Italian government for the Bangladesh Interim Government in its efforts to carry forward the ongoing reform initiatives. Tripodi announced her support when she met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna here to discuss issues of mutual interest. “We hope you will be successful with the reforms. As our Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mentioned to you at the UNGA, you can always count on us,” she told the Chief Adviser. “Italy and Bangladesh are very close. Many Bangladeshi citizens live in Italy. They play an important role in our country,” she said while urging Bangladesh to work hand-in-hand to stop illegal migration. The Chief Advisor also prioritized the need for expanding legal migration, saying that Bangladesh was working hard to stop human trafficking and increase attempts to send more skilled people abroad in formal channels. The Chief Adviser praised Tripodi for undertaking the visit at a historic time when the Interim Government was trying to take Bangladesh towards political and economic stability after the student-led mass uprising in July, which ended years of misrule. “Your visit came at a historic time. This is a very important time for us right after what happened in July,” he said. “We are facing numerous challenges. Our efforts are underway to address the challenges that we are facing like revitalizing the economy and restoring faith in the political system,” he said. The Italian Vice-Minister responded by saying that Bangladesh would get “full support” from her government. Tripodi also said that Italy would not stop their development support for Bangladeshi people and Rohingya Muslims. She said many Italian companies were interested in investing in Bangladesh, highlighting the textile, energy, and defence sectors as potential areas of cooperation. Prof Yunus urged Italy to relocate their factories to Bangladesh and engage youths in exchange programmes between the two countries. Tripodi’s visit is the first ministerial visit from any European Union country since the formation of the Interim Government in August last year. Lamiya Morshed, senior secretary for SDG affairs, among others, was present on the occasion.