Rome, Feb 26 (IANS): Italy supports Sahel countries in their fight against terrorism and their quest for economic development, Italy's Deputy Minister Emanuela Del Re said on Tuesday.

"Italy is on your side in tackling the challenges facing you in the fields of security and development," she said during a visit to Mauritania.

"These challenges, moreover, are an opportunity for all of us," Del Re said in Nouakchott, where she took part in the first General Assembly of the Sahel Alliance (an organisation that supports the G5 Sahel security alliance) of which Italy is a member.

Del Re also attended a summit of G5 Sahel which comprises Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.

Also on Tuesday, Del Re had a bilateral meeting with Burkina Faso's President, Roch Mark Kabore and conveyed to him Italy's solidarity with his country over the growing extremist violence in the country.

"Italy believes that Burkina Faso is very important for the stabilisation of the Sahel," she said.

Del Re voiced "great satisfaction" at a recent defence cooperation agreement that will boost bilateral cooperation on training in border control activities and the fight against illegal trafficking, a statement said.