“Today companies need to internationalise. But it is a complex process impacted by geopolitical and economic scenarios that are difficult to predict. This is the reason for establishing the Situation Room for Internationalisation, co-chaired by the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry for Economic Development. The aim is to put together public and private actors so as to jointly identify markets and sectors on which to focus promotional resources. And Milan, the dynamic economic capital of our Country, is the ideal place for this strategy,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, commenting the opening of the bilateral business forums with Hungary and the Arab Countries.
The First Italy-Hungary Business Forum was opened at 10 a.m. in the Sala Pirelli of Palazzo delle Stelline.
“The opening of the bilateral economic forum crowns the joint efforts of the Italian Embassy in Budapest and of the ICE-Agency to bolster and intensify relations between our two Countries, giving new momentum to the already excellent economic and trade relations. Trade with Hungary is rising steeply: since 2013, both exports and imports have constantly increased, reaching a trade volume of 9 billion euros last year. The upward trend was confirmed during the first semester of 2017: +5.2% in our exports to Hungary and +18.5% in our imports from that market,” said Minister Alfano when opening the working session together with the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, and the president of ICE-Agency, Michele Scannavini .
At the close of the opening remarks, Minister Alfano will have a bilateral meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó,
The first Italy-Arab Business Forum will take place at 12:40 p.m. at Palazzo Turati and will launch the “Joint Italian-Arab Chamber”, an association presided by Cesare Trevisani.
Minister Alfano said: “The business forum represents an important opportunity to reaffirm the strategic importance that Italy attributes to the Arab Countries and to underscore our intention to tighten our economic ties with the Mediterranean region through a long-term partnership. Trade with MENA Countries reached 70 billion euros in 2016. To give an idea of the growth trend in our trade and industrial relations, it is sufficient to say that between 2009 and 2015, Italian exports rose by 112% to Saudi Arabia, by 64% to the Emirates and by 22% to Bahrein.”
The Foreign Minister will open the working session at the attendance of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Bahrein, Zayed Alzayani, with whom he will subsequently meet on the fringes of the Forum.
