Egypt and Italy are to launch a joint Forum on 4 November to discuss boosting economic ties and investment opportunities. The Italy-Egypt Forum is organised by the Italian Egyptian Association for Friendship and Cooperation, founded in Rome in 2009. The forum will be attended by top-ranking government officials including ministers of foreign trade and industy, agriculture, energy and electricity, investment and transportation. The ministers are to discussthe policies and opportunities that the Egyptian government plans to offer. The chairman of Egypt's International Business and Investment Association (IBIA), Ahmed Galal, said the IBIA is preparing to receive an Italian business delegation comprised of representatives from 50 Italian companies seeking investment opportunities in Egypt, Al-Shorouk newspaper reported Tuesday. Galal added that the Italian delegation plans to discuss investment prospects in Egypt, particularly in the industries of textile, garments, infrastructure and leather. The volume of trade exchange between the two countries was $7 billion in 2009 and cooperation between the two countries covers almost all fields, according to the Egyptian State Information Service.
