(ANSA) - SARAJEVO, NOVEMBER 1 - Italian embassy in Sarajevo announced that the first "Italy-BiH Business Forum" will take place on November 6 at the Europa Hotel in Sarajevo and will be attended by Italian firms operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The initiative will encourage meetings and dialogue between the Italian businesses in the Balkan country, local authorities, and representatives of Bosnian and international organisations and financial institutions, with the aim of identifying synergies and collaboration opportunities to support growth and employment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Italy is the second biggest trading partner of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a trade amounting to about 1.bn euros per year, and the 70 Italian companies registered in BiH employ more than 10,000 Bosnian citizens.

The meeting will focus on the following issues: the potential contribution of Italian companies to the new reform agenda, the impact of Italian investments on the country's society and economy, the decisive relationship between schools, universities and businesses. It will also outline the framework which the economic collaboration between the two countries will be based on and the decisive steps that Bosnia and Herzegovina will take in the coming years to join to European Union. To this end, all the participants will be given the opportunity to attend B2B meetings to focus on the possible launch of specific projects and collaborations, and listen to the institutional speeches which will be delivered by representatives of financial institutions and companies, including the International Monetary Fund, FIPA, Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE), UniCredit, Bosankar, Metalleghe/RS Silicon, Ferretto Group, Eestec and Pmp Jelsingrad Fmg. (ANSA).