Italy's Minister for Economic Development leads delegation at Italian-Kurdistan Region Forum
Minister Romani’s visit to Kurdistan was part of a broader trip to Iraq, and was organised to coincide with the Italian-Kurdistan Region Business Forum and allow a number of private meetings with top KRG officials.
At a reception hosted by Prime Minister Barham Salih, the Prime Minister welcomed the delegation to the Region on behalf of President Masoud Barzani and wished them success in their mission. The Prime Minister later held a meeting with Minister Romani and some members of his cabinet to discuss the economic and political developments in Kurdistan and Iraq.
At a joint press conference, Prime Minister Salih said, "The Kurdistan Regional Government views this visit as a sign of the importance Italy attaches to Kurdistan and to Iraq. We are looking for enhanced cooperation in a variety of fields between our governments and also more importantly between the private sectors of Kurdistan and Iraq on the one hand and Italian companies on the other. Kurdistan is open for business and is a gateway for Italian companies to the rest of Iraq."
The Kurdistan Regional Government has previously signed agreements with the Italian regions of Veneto and Lombardy with the intention of strengthening cooperation in a variety of sectors, and the success of the business forum and the visit overall could pave the way for a significant increase in Italian participation in Kurdistan's economic growth.
At the business forum on Tuesday, which was organised by the KRG's Department of Foreign Relations, the KRG Minister of Trade and Industry, Sinan Celebi, spoke about the relationship that the Kurdistan Region enjoys with Italy, especially the bond between the Italian and Kurdish chambers of commerce. He expressed his hope that the forum would help to further cement the political and economic ties between both sides.
Minister Celebi said, "The number of foreign companies in the Kurdistan Region is almost 2,000, of which 212 are European." He added that he hoped the conference would result in an increase in Italian companies and that Kurdistan would benefit from their expertise.
The business conference was also attended by other KRG officials including the Minister of Planning Ali Sindi, Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Jamil Sleiman Haider, Minister of Health Taher Hawrami, Chairman of the Investment Board Herish Muharam, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, Governor of Erbil Nawzad Hadi, as well as the Head of the Consular Office of the Embassy of Italy to Erbil Dr Simone De Santi, the KRG’s representative to Italy Ms Rezan Hama Salih Qadir Agha and a number of Kurdish and Italian businessmen. The Kurdistan chambers of commerce, the Contractors Union and Investors Union also participated in the forum.
Minister Herish Muharam, the Chairman of the Kurdistan Board of Investment, and the Italian Embassy's Trade Commissioner, Mauro Mariani, chaired discussions in which KRG officials highlighted economic opportunities for Italian companies.
In the closing session, Minister Romani highlighted the progress made by the Kurdistan Region in such a short space of time, especially given the history of the region. He spoke about his hopes of Italy maintaining its place as the Kurdistan Region's largest European economic trade partner, as well as highlighting the different sectors that Italian companies can work in.
Commenting on the visit, the Head of DFR Minister Bakir said, "We believe that it is vital for investors to have first-hand experience of the region. This event not only allowed the participants to witness the rich opportunities our region has to offer, but also gave them a chance to explore the Iraqi market as a whole. We hope it will pave the way for more interaction with both the government and private sectors of Italy."
Minister Bakir accompanied the delegation on a tour of important sites in the city and the ancient Erbil citadel where they were met by Governor Hadi before departing to Baghdad for their visit to the rest of Iraq.
Minister Romani was accompanied by Italy's Ambassador to Iraq Gerard Karanti, the Minister’s Diplomatic Advisor Ambassador Daniele Mancini, as well as a large delegation of other officials and businessmen. They arrived in Kurdistan on Monday and were received by Dr Fuad Hussein, the Chief of Staff to the President of the Kurdistan Region, Minister Celebi, Minister Bakir and Ms Rezan.
