Italy is one of the key-term trade and economic partner of Russia in Europe. The friendly tone between the states is maintained not only in business but also at the highest level. Far is known, for example, the fact that the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi wears a jacket he has on Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have given. The image of the far-flung Russian-Italian plans spoiled now the economic crisis, which has a substantial decline in the trade turnover as a result. In an interview for RusBusinessNews said Roberto Pelo, Managing Director of Italian Institute for Foreign Trade in Russia, that the entrepreneurs from the Apennines have to wait for positive signals from the Russian side and expect the revival of the great trade.
- Mr. Pelo, the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade does a great job of developing economic and trade relations between Russia and Italy. What are its main tasks?
- Our mission is one hand, the Italian companies in its stable presence (establishment of branches, representative offices, operated by direct investment, opening of brand shops) to help the other, we try to Russian consumers detailed information as possible about the products "Made in Italy" to ask of charge.
The Italian Institute for Foreign Trade also makes a great work for the organization of group shows of Italian producers at international trade fairs and exhibitions in Russia and other countries. Visitors to such fairs, such as "CONSUMEXPO", "Mebel", "Upakovka, Metal Working: machines, Tools, etc., are already used, not individual items, but the whole exhibition halls in which the products of the Italian companies will be
presented, to see. The Italian Institute for Foreign Trade organizes not only the participation of Italian firms in fairs and exhibitions, it also invites Russian firms operating in these industries to attend these shows, make arrangements for her meetings with Italian producers, seminars, workshops , presentations and press conferences, whose job is to communicate the Russian consumers as much information on Italian equipment, goods and services.
presented, to see. The Italian Institute for Foreign Trade organizes not only the participation of Italian firms in fairs and exhibitions, it also invites Russian firms operating in these industries to attend these shows, make arrangements for her meetings with Italian producers, seminars, workshops , presentations and press conferences, whose job is to communicate the Russian consumers as much information on Italian equipment, goods and services.
For Russian specialists, we organize visits to exhibitions in Italy, study tours and training courses, visits to Italian firms advanced. Russian entrepreneurs can get all sorts of information about earthmoving sectors and activities of Italian companies and place their own offers on the website in Russian www. italtrade .com leave.
- Are you satisfied with the work product of the last year?
- Yes, very. For we have, despite the economic crisis and the many difficulties in 2009 such important and unique projects such as the mission system can realize "Russia-Italy Business Forum" in April of last year. This event was the largest and best organized event in the last 20 years.
The implementation of this forum has found wide attention in the mass media. But I would remind you that it was supported by the governments of Russia and Italy, its organizers were the Italian Ministry for Economic Development, the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, Italian industrial equipment association Confindustria and the Italian Association of Banks. The forum was held in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and held in the Krasnodar region. This is followed by some 1,000 participating Italian companies. As part of the Forum were organized over 7,000 bilateral meetings and signed several important agreements on Russian-Italian economic sectors.
In Moscow, the Forum was also attended by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. From the Italian side took part in the forum Claudio Scajola, Italian Minister for Economic Development, and Umberto Vattani, President of the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade. Together with Russian Industry and Trade Minister Viktor Khristenko, they continued the work of the Forum in Yekaterinburg. The Italian delegation, which arrived in the capital of the Urals Federal District had about 200 people. From the Russian side took the Forum in Yekaterinburg over 1,000 people, the authorities, organizations, associations and industrial enterprises in the Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, Kurgan, have argued from the Perm region and the Republic Baschkosrtostan.
- The world financial crisis has corrected this work?
- We must of course take into account the experiences of crisis. Russia 2010 is not Russia in 2008 and it will never be so. The crisis was once again the instability of the Russian model of development to get to the show. It showed the undeveloped structure of the modern equipment market and the structural weakness of the industrial development. On the other hand, Russia is today, and even more in the future, offer great opportunities to Italian companies. We must correct our actions only from the standpoint of marketing on the Russian market a bit.
- Prefer to work, the Italian entrepreneur specific Russian regions where they have it easier, for example? To what extent can be attractive in this respect, the Urals for them?
- From For several years, we have long before the crisis, we are working with Italian companies and steer them down next to Moscow and St. Petersburg to regional markets. Particular interest to us not the benefits, but the opportunities that exist. From this point of view seem different regions of the Russian Federation to be attractive. They are namely, Yekaterinburg and the entire region Ural, Siberia and Novosibirsk, Samara and the Volga region, Krasnodar and Kuban.
- In which sectors the cooperation with Russia and the Urals for the Italians is particularly interesting? Which industries are the future of Russian-Italian cooperation?
- In terms of commercial development, all segments of the consumer market and the machine are exactly the industries in which we can promote the Russian-Italian cooperation. As far as the Urals region, so that what matters is to specific industries. It can practically be cooperating in the entire engineering complex deliveries of construction technology, earthmoving equipment, casting machines. And the consumer goods market in the development of relations in production and supply of clothing, shoes, furniture is very interested.
- How to evaluate your professionals: the Italian entrepreneurs interested in the conditions of the financial crisis a bit more for the Russian market or the interest has subsided a little?
- The problem is probably not in the financial crisis itself, but in the leadership and organization of the Russian market. In 2009, for example, the decline in Russian exports, the export reductions of other countries has significantly exceeded. This is a bad signal, the Russia of its loyal partners like Italy had communicated. Today is the interest for the Russian market as high, we are all waiting for others, but already positive signs.
- You have spoken about the economic forum "Russia-Italy. The Forum has a new interest in the Italian entrepreneurship in Russia aroused? What projects have been started here? If we are planning a similar event at some point again to perform?
- The merit of the Forum and its part in the Urals (and it have, as mentioned above Claudio Scajola, Italian Minister for Economic Development, Viktor Khristenko, deputy Russian prime minister, and Umberto Vattani, President involved the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade) is given is to maintain the contacts also and especially in the hard times continue. In 2011, Russia will hold a forum in Italy, and that's a good sign. Russia and Italy are two strategic partners.
The information has been prepared together with the PR department of the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade in Russia
