ROME: It is important that Belarus and Italy maintain the current pace of cooperation, Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alena Kupchyna said at the opening of the session of the Belarusian-Italian intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation on 23 February, BelTA has learned.
Alena Kupchyna called the meeting a landmark event. She believes that the first session of the intergovernmental commission marks an important stage in bilateral relations.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that Belarus and Italy have jointly created an effective mechanism for bilateral cooperation and implementation of projects in trade, economy, science, technology, investments, and other sectors in the context of the ongoing global crisis.
Alena Kupchyna emphasized that Italy is a major economic partner for Belarus. The bilateral dialogue intensified greatly last year. A large-scale presentation of Belarus’ potential was held at the universal exhibition Expo Milano 2015. In September 2015, for the first time in a long while, the Belarusian Prime Minister visited Italy.
A number of mutually beneficial agreements were reached during the visit. Today all conditions are in place to tap into the cooperation potential, including in the relations between Belarus and the European Union. The Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that trade and economy are not the only sectors of mutual interest for Belarus and Italy.
“We are close also thanks to our trustful dialogue in humanitarian affairs. More than half a million Belarusian children have participated in health improvement programs in Italy, and we are thankful for this,” Alena Kupchyna said. “Today we can say with confidence that there are no obstacles to further intensification of bilateral relations, first of all, in trade and in other areas. We believe it is important to maintain the current pace of cooperation.
Today’s meeting should become an important step towards the objectives that Belarus and Italy have with respect to further intensification of bilateral relations in all areas,” she stressed. A delegation of Italian businessmen and representatives of ministries has arrived in Belarus. It comprises more than 60 people.
After the session of the Belarusian-Italian intergovernmental commission, they will take part in a Belarusian-Italian business forum. Alena Kupchyna believes that such an eventful program attests to high mutual interest in developing dialogue. For his part, Italian Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Benedetto Della Vedova expressed satisfaction with the reached level of cooperation between the two countries.
In his words, the Italian side expects positive results in trade and further strengthening of relations. Benedetto Della Vedova pointed out that the lifting of the EU sanctions against Belarus that impeded the development of the relations between Belarus and Italy was an important step towards closer cooperation. He emphasized that Italy was an active participant in that process.
