Moscow – Italian business delegation on mission to Novosibirsk

An Italian business mission is visiting Novosibirsk, the capital of one of the Russian Federation’s most dynamic economic regions. The mission, led by Italy’s Ambassador in Moscow Cesare Maria Ragaglini, includes representatives of the ICE Foreign Trade Institute, the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce and 20 Italian firms specialising in sectors including hi-tech, the chemical-pharmaceutical industry and food processing. The embassy said: “The aim is to lay the ground for a greater Italian presence in this area in terms of investments and joint-ventures with local partners.” Talks between the ambassador and the regional governor, Vladimir Gorodetsky, and B2B meetings between Italian and Russian companies will form part of the Business Forum organised to attract Italian investment. However, there is also a cultural side to the mission, with Ambassador Ragaglini taking part in the opening of the NICE New Italian Cinema Events film festival, and giving a lecture on Italian-Russian relations at the University of Novosibirsk. There will also be a presentation to local tour operators of the embassy’s internet site, La Tua Italia, which is geared to encourage Russians to visit Italy. The ambassador said: “I believe that our companies have a driving role to play in the development of this region, thanks to their skills, their know-how and the complementarity of our economies. The business mission to Novosibirsk is part of our bid to promote our investment potential in the Russian regions, our latest action being the publication of the guide “Investire in Russia” (Investing in Russia), a compendium of economic and legislative information for Italian businesses wanting to invest in the Federation.”