Business promotion in Italy and Serbia, agreement signed

(ANSA) - PORDENONE, 14 FEB - An Italy-Serbia memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation to promote the internationalization of businesses from Italy and Serbia was signed today in Pordenone between the Pordenone-Udine Chamber of Commerce and the CCI of Vojvodina, an autonomous region located in northern Serbia.
    "Both parties are willing to agree on exchanging economic information on their respective territories and on trade and business opportunities," explained Pordenone-Udine Chamber of Commerce vice-president Michelangelo Agrusti. "Participation in events and business missions to encourage meetings between companies from the respective regions and possible forms of business support in accessing foreign markets.
    "I am convinced that any agreement of a commercial nature, which then also triggers human relations with both Serbia and Vojvodina in particular, becomes an element that brings the EU accession process closer," Agrusti remarked.
    CCI President Bosco Vucurevic explained that "in the last 20 years Italian investments in our region have exceeded one billion euros, and some 90 Italian companies established in Serbia have found themselves at 'home' especially in Vojvodina: I am referring in particular to credit companies, the insurance market, textiles and automotive." "Right now," he further said, "Italy, in terms of exports, is in third place in Serbia and second in Vojvodina. We hope that, through this agreement, it will become, at least in our region, the first; of course, the competition from German companies is very aggressive since over the years they have become particularly rooted in our productive areas. But I am confident in the achievement of better results as early as this year." (ANSA).