(ANSA) - TEHRAN - Not only a business trip, but also a mission involving the whole system of regional research, and aiming to confirm that Italy and Friuli Venezia Giulia are ready to strengthen their ''relationship in many sectors, such as economy, science-technology and culture'', with Iran. This is what the President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Debora Serracchiani told ANSA today while she was attending - along with the president of the Board of Directors of the International Iran Exhibition Corporation, Hossein Esfahbodi, the Italian Ambassador Mauro Conciatori and the Pordenone Fiere Ceo Pietro Piccinetti - the opening ceremony of the 2nd edition of ''Contract Made in Italy'', showcase of Italian furniture. Along with 60 companies participating in the exhibition, coming from Lombardy and Triveneto, there are also technological centres and research institutions, in order to satisfy, Serracchiani underlined, a specific request from the Iranian government, which is looking for international partners - given that the withdrawal of sanctions is expected to happen very soon - in order to modernise its manufacturing system. ''Our region is ranked first in Italy in terms of innovation rate - Serracchiani said - and 27th in Europe''. The FVG delegation included the Commissioner of Trieste Port Authority, Zeno D'Agostino, who is going to meet with the Iranian authorities to promote ''direct relations'' and new guidelines for Iranian businesses, especially in Trieste. As for ''Contract Made in Italy''', this is an exhibition ''we want to implement - Serracchiani said - by investing in new trade relations and also by reaching specific deals in the framework of the agreements that Italy has signed in recent months with Iran''. A market involving 80 million people, she added, with a capital city which has nearly 17 million inhabitants and which loves made in Italy. ''Mechanics, furniture, shipbuilding, agrifood - Serracchiani remarked - are our core strengths''. On the other hand, Eshfabodi reported, when you invest in Iran, you can reach many other markets within the Persian Gulf. In addition, culture is not only the main focus of the conference ''Art, architecture, design and city planning: sciences for a shared path'', but it the core of the mission led by the President of Aquileia Foundation, Antonio Zanardi Landi, who aims at exchanging artworks with the National Archaeological Museum of Tehran.

According to Debora Serracchiani, the first President of the FVG Region to visit Iran, this is the first visit even on a personal level. ''We were greeted with great cordiality and received a warm welcome, therefore - she stated - I would say there is an affinity between Iranians and Italians that I did not expect''.(ANSA).