OREANDA-NEWS. October 20, 2010. As part of the Russian-Italian Forum-Dialogue within the framework of civil societies a Business Forum’s Meeting “Russia and Italy: Stepping up Interregional Cooperation” was held in the city of Yekaterinburg.

Management Board Member - Vnesheconombank Deputy Chairman Anatoly Ballo and Sverdlovsk region Governor Alexander Misharin gave welcoming addresses to the Forum’s participants.

The Forum’s participants discussed the development of cooperation between Italian and Russian companies in the Russian regions, Italian companies’ activities in Russia as well as prospects for Italian companies in the investment sector of the Sverdlovsk region.

In attendance of the Business-Forum from the Russian side were First Vice President of the Regional Association of Employers “The Sverdlovsk Regional Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs” Mikhail Cherepanov, Acting Economics Minister of the Sverdlovsk region Vitaly Nedelsky.

Among the Italian speakers were: Board Chairman of Bank Intesa (of Italy’s Intesa SanPaolo Banking Consortium) Antonio Fallico, President of the Association of Italian Enterprises in Russia – Gim Impresa - Vitorio Torrembini, Counselor of the Italian Embassy in Moscow, Head of the Trade-Economic Department Leonardo Benchini, Head of Education Department of Italy’s Embassy in Moscow Carlo Davoli, representatives of the Liguria region. 

The Russian-Italian Forum-Dialogue within the framework of civil societies was established in 2004 on Vladimir Putin’s and Silvio Berlusconi’s initiative. The Forum aims to form new promising lines of cooperation, develop an infrastructure of bilateral relations at a nongovernmental level in economy, science and education, cultural and humanitarian ties within the framework of nongovernmental and voluntary organizations. Since 2004, more than 100 business and cultural events were organized within the Forum-Dialogue in various Russian and Italian cities. Vnesheconombank Chairman Vladimir Dmitriev is the Co-Chair of the Forum-Dialogue from the Russian side and from Italian side – President of Todini Finanziaria Louisa Todini.