Trade and industry ministry is seeking to cooperate with Italy and make use of the Italian expertise of establishing industrial complexes for furniture, plastic, leather and autos sectors, minister Tarek Kabil said Saturday. The minister made these remarks during his meeting with the Italian ambassador to Cairo Maurizio Massari to discuss means of economic cooperation between two states as well as determining the mutual cooperation priorities within the upcoming period. Kabil stated that the ministry targets developing and deepening the local industry within the upcoming period through establishing those complexes. Trade ministry has already started executing the complex for plastic industries in Merghem region, Alexandria in addition to the furniture city which the ministry is currently launching in Damietta governorate, the minister clarified. Minister Kabil noted that the Egyptian-Italian relations, notably the economic ones, are distinguishable as Italy is Egypt's first trade partner. On other side, ambassador Massari emphasised that the Egyptian-Italian Business Council is playing an important role to enhance the trade and investment relations between Egypt and Italy through organizing mutual missions between two states all over the year. Massari further stated that the Italian government is committed to support the Egyptian private sector, notably the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), as the government owns considerable expertise.
