Maputo — Mozambican President Armando Guebuza on Monday received the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister, Patrizia Sentinelli, with whom he discussed the cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sentinelli said her delegation "expressed our willingness to strengthen Italy's economic and political relations with Mozambique".

Earlier in the day Sentinelli signed an agreement with the Mozambican Minister of State Administration, Lucas Chomera, aimed at strengthening decentralisation and local government.

This is a three year programme based in the central port city of Beira, and the northern part of Sofala province. It hopes to improve the structural and social conditions of the districts of Caia, Chemba, Maringue, Nhamatanda and Marromeu, and develop the human resopurces of the local governments so that they can offer better public services.

The programme is also intended to generate employment, and set up a fund to provide loans to small companies.

Under the agreement, Italy will provide 6.9 million euros (about 10.2 million US dollars) for this programme.

Chomera declared that this agreement "continues the support given by Italy to the decentralisation and local development programmes undertaken in Sofala province by the Ministry of State Administration".