Italian Entrepreneurs Explore Business Opportunities in Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, May 10 (acn) Interested in exploring business opportunities open in Cuba, a large Italian delegation of businessmen from sectors such as energy, construction, infrastructure and agribusiness is on a visit to this capital.
In a business forum held on Tuesday at the National Hotel, Omar Fernandez, secretary general of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, stressed the importance of this mission comprising representatives of areas of great significance for the Caribbean island, in line with its plans for foreign investment.
He recalled that this visit precedes the one made in October by Matteo Renzi, President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, who traveled to Havana accompanied by a large group of entrepreneurs, a demonstration of the interest of the European nation to strengthen economic and commercial ties with the island.
After explaining the current development of Cuban economy, Fernandez underlined the country's priority to increase the production of goods and services and the volume of exports, diversify their market destinations and enhance the recovery of domestic industry, tasks requiring the participation of foreign capital.
Also in the presence of Cuban officials and businessmen, he said that these meetings open doors to identify new opportunities for investment and trade for the benefit of the two parties.
He specified that the main export items from Cuba to Italy are forest products for use in construction, scrap metals and bottled rum, and that the latter had a greater presence in 2015.
Fernandez stressed the broad portfolio of Cuban sales that is not always known, and pointed out branches like health, telecommunications, energy, information technology, tourism, education and the environment.
At the meeting, Stefano Bellucci, representative of the Italian Sace bank institution commented the existence since mid-2015 of a financial support to facilitate the issuance of letters of credit residing to Italians in the island, an instrument that is already in use and planned to be expanded.
Carmine Robustelli, Italian ambassador in Havana, noted that there are many projects that the two countries can do together, with a long-term vision and supported by historic ties of friendship.
Organized by the Italian Confederation of Manufacturing Industry and the private enterprise Confimi Industria and the Agency for promotion abroad and internationalization of Italian companies, ICE, the visiting delegation will hold until several exchanges with Cuban representatives until Wednesday.