On 17 May at EXCO 2019, the Italian Expo of International Co-operation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) organised a common workshop on Blue Economy to develop stronger cooperation in the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.

The Italian National Hub presented the WestMED Initiative as an example of the adoption of a common sustainable Blue Growth agenda among countries sharing the same sea basin.