Distinguished representatives of GFCM countries, Representative of the Director-General of FAO, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is with great pleasure that Italy has adhered to the request of the Committee on Fisheries to support the regionalization of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Our country believes strongly in the importance of ensuring a future sustainable development with a responsible use of resources and has expressed this belief in numerous occasions and, in particular, in the FAO fora. We are also grateful to FAO for having assured the coordination of this event in such an efficient way.

We are also committed to supporting the development of aquaculture both in our country and in the Mediterranean region as our involvement in past regional projects implemented through the FAO and our commitment to aquaculture acitivities in the framework of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean demonstrate. The cooperation extended to the Italian Government to GFCM countries on this occasion is a first step in the direction of ensuring a better understanding and application of the principles of the Code. We are sure that through the dialogue between our countries, we will all be able to advance to the adoption of common standards of operation which will stabilize and promote the development of aquaculture in the region.

I wish you a very fruitful week of deliberations.

Thank you.