Italy seeks to promote Kazakhstani brand
Kazakh trade and integration minister Arman Shakkaliyev and Italian senator Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata held a meeting discussing the implementation of the agreements reached in January this year between the Heads of State of Kazakhstan and Italy, Kazinform News Agency has learnt from the ministry of trade of Kazakhstan.
The talks largely focused on the enhancement of trade and cultural cooperation between the countries through the Road to Kazakhstan project, which implies the running of branded trucks between 30 Italian cities providing information about Kazakhstan, its culture, national dishes, tourist opportunities and many more.
While meeting Domenico Mauriello, Secretary-General of the Association of Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad, an agreement was reached to internationalize Italian business in the Kazakh market. The Association expressed interest in opening its office in Kazakhstan to bring together Italian SMEs and form a flagship to carry out joint projects in Kazakhstan.
The initiative found support from the Kazakh trade and integration minister, who believes that the Chamber’s activity should be focused on implementing the Made in Kazakhstan with Italy concept and that the intergovernmental working group needs to work it through.
A memorandum to exchange databases on SMEs and create a unified register of companies to establish B2B contacts as well as develop an action plant was signed between QazTrade and the Association.
During a meeting between Vincenzo Elifani, President of the Italian major SMEs conference Unionservici Confapi, and Kazakh minister Shakkaliyev, special attention was attached to the expansion of business contacts.
Our integration with the conference might become a key instrument in promoting Kazakhstani commodities in the Italian market as well as contribute to the search for new partners for joint investment projects, said the Kazakh minister.
According to Elifani, the Made in Kazakhstan with Italy project can be a new area in the promotion of cooperation between SMEs of Italy and Kazakhstan. Following the meeting, the sides agreed to define joint projects with the participation of SMEs in the near future.
In the talks with the coordinator of the major Italian concern AIСR Olga Gelucie and Kazakh minister Shakkaliyev, the possibility of selecting 10 projects between Kazakh and Italian companies in different sectors including textile and chemical industry, food, and so on was discussed.
The meeting with top managers Francesco de Biasi and Luka Latini of Speri Kazakhstan, which is to open its office in Almaty, the realization of promising projects in Kazakhstan was discussed. Speri has already carried out several projects; works are ongoing to construct a hospital in Karaganda region with the attraction of funds from the Asian Development Bank.
Italian companies Carmec srl and AGRO ITTICA LOMBARDA SPA also expressed readiness to create milk processing, cheese and caviar production cooperative projects in Kazakhstan.
