(ANSAmed) - ATHENS - The Italian Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Alfredo Mantica, has said that Italy and Greece share common interests and ideas on the main agenda points, from the MediterraneanUnion (MU) to energy security. Mantica yesterday had a meeting with his Greek counterpart, Miltiadis Varvisiotis. ''We are in full agreement. We have agreed to work on better cooperation between the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, including Spain and Portugal,'' Mantica was pleased to say after his talk with Varvisiotis. Greece has confirmed that its development minister, Kostis Matzidakis, will participate in the Economic-Financial Forum in Milan from July 20 to 21, organised by Italy as on-duty president of the Union. Italy and Greece want to work together to increase EU awareness on issues that regard the southern countries of the Union, and that ''are not a priority on the European agenda.'' Regarding energy, Mantica and Varvisiotis have agreed to organise an ad hoc bilateral meeting to develop a joint strategy on issues like the ITGI (gas pipeline from the Caspian Sea to Italy through Turkey and Greece) and relations with gas producing countries. Cyprus was another point of discussion, after Mantica's two-day visit to Nicosia which ended the day before yesterday: ''Athens welcomed our visit, and the invitation sent by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano to the president of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, to visit Rome in September,'' said the undersecretary. He explained that the two countries have made an appointment for this autumn, when talks between the two communities in Cyprus should enter their second stage (the first is expected to come to a conclusion this month, with a total three stages have being scheduled). It seems that Italy and Greece will be working together in the Mediterranean and Adriatic area, as confirmed by the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative which the two countries have proposed to speed up the EU membership process for countries in the western Balkan.(ANSAmed).