“Eastern Europe: a natural bridge between West and East” is the title of the third edition
of the General Assembly of Confindustria Est Europa, held yesterday morning in Confindustria's
Sala Pininfarina.
The President, Maria Luisa Meroni, reviewed her four-year term, built on actions designed to strengthen the integration, standing and growth of the Federation both within and beyond national borders.
The Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, in a message sent to the Assembly, underlined the importance of the area for Italy, describing it as “suited both to investment by small companies and to the delivery of large strategic projects”.
The Director General of ICE-Agenzia, Lorenzo Galanti, spoke in the institutional greetings of the excellent economic cooperation between Italy and Eastern Europe, examining existing trade with the area and the system-wide actions carried out in recent years.
The Director for the Western Balkans at the European Commission's DG NEAR, Valentina Superti, set out the progress made on European enlargement, highlighting the excellent steps forward taken by the Balkans in meeting European standards with a view to forthcoming accession.
During the Assembly, Tullio Buccellato, economist at the Confindustria Research Department, presented the report on the “Export potential of Made in Italy in Central and Eastern Europe”, promoted by Confindustria Est Europa with the support of UniCredit (available on request). Italian exports to the area are currently estimated at 48 billion euro, placing Italy among the leading exporters. There is ample room for additional growth worth 17 billion euro. This is the value of the potential still to be seized in the Region.
Presidents Anna Mareschi Danieli of Confindustria Slovenia and Patrizio dei Tos of Confindustria Serbia gave their valuable testimony on internationalisation in their respective countries, highlighting the particular features and activities of each Association. In the same Round Table, UniCredit outlined the Group's structured presence in the area, examining the financial instruments available to support business expansion in Eastern Europe.
Special thanks go to the Vice-President for Exports and Investment Attraction, Barbara Cimmino, who spoke in the closing greetings, underlining the strategic nature of the area for Made in Italy exports, significant also as a “hinge” between West and East, and highlighting the value of having Representative Offices present on the ground.
“Support for relations with the countries of Eastern Europe is at the centre of the European agenda and of the Italian G7 Presidency” — so read the letter sent by the Hon. Antonio Tajani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on the occasion of our Assembly.
Last but not least, our thanks to the Associations that took part in this important moment of coming together for the members of our Federation, an ever more united body with the aim of growing together … to the East!
