ABU DHABI: Italy remains the UAE’s third largest trade partner in Europe with shared interests in political and economic cooperation, despite the decline in Italian exports to the country last year attributed to unfavourable crude oil price trends, Valentina Setta, Consul-General, Italian General Consulate.
“Bilateral relations between Italy and the UAE are excellent and this was confirmed by the recent visit of our Minister of Foreign Affairs Angelino Alfano, who was received by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,” she said.
The visit took place on the sidelines of the first UAE-Italy strategic dialogue session that aims to enhance cooperation across several fields. Setta added that Italy sees opportunities for growth in the UAE market and hopes that the upcoming Expo 2020 will add a boost to relevant sectors.
Under the guidance of the Italian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the General Consulate works closely with the Italian Trade Agency in Dubai to support Italian companies.
Setta said that a special initiative is in progress to promote contemporary Italian design to the world. Launched by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, it will host events in over 100 cities, including Dubai, and gather seasoned Italian architects, business leaders, critics, academics and designers to illustrate the history and new trends that the Italian design sector has to offer.
