OREANDA-NEWS. October 2, 2009. The first Turkmen-Italian business forum was organized at the President Hotel in Ashgabat. The representative delegation from Italy consisting of the high-ranking government officials and businessmen had arrived in the Turkmen capital to take part in the forum. Turkmenistan was represented by the specialists of the national ministries and departments, the Union of Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs at the forum.

In the opening remarks the leader of the Italian delegation – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Turkmenistan Vittorio Claudio Surdo underscored paramount significance of the forum as an opportunity to present Turkmenistan as a country with the profound economic and energy potential as well as importance of this meeting for enhancing the Turkmen-Italian relations and promoting the active dialogue between Turkmenistan and the European Union. That was vividly illustrated by the keynote speech delivered by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during the 64th session of the UN General Assembly, the Ambassador emphasized.

The forum participants representing the Ministry of Economic Development of Italy and the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, 25 Italian companies such as Edison, Tecnimont, Bonnatti, FinderPompe, European Technology Development, CentroEsteroVeneto, Anse expressed the willingness to establish very promising bilateral contacts. It was noted that though 7 enterprises with the share of Italian capital operated in Turkmenistan and 12 investment projects had been registered in the country the growth of foreign trade turnover did not comply with the potential of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Italy. The participants expressed the mutual readiness to diversify mutually advantageous trade and economic partnership

The overview of the Turkmen laws that were opened up the vast opportunities for foreign business and investments was presented for the Italian guests. A video film about Turkmenistan and its economic potential was demonstrated during the forum.

The vectors of further cooperation were specified during the bilateral meetings between the Italian guests and the specialists of the sectoral ministries and departments of Turkmenistan.