On July 6, a delegation of the Lebanese Italian Business Council, LEBITALIA, accompanied by Dr. Nabil Fahed, vice- chairman and treasurer at the Chamber of Beirut & Mount Lebanon, and the Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Massimo Marotti, took part in business meetings and workshops in Milan, organized by the Promos (special Agency of the Milan Chamber of Commerce for the promotion of international activities) in collaboration with Assolombarda Confindustria, and the Associazione di Cultura Politica ed Economica Guido Carli, as well as the Italian Trade Agency (ITA).
It's worth mentioning that Lebitalia, the Lebanese Italian Business Council was created within the context of a cooperation Agreement signed in 2012 between the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon and Promos – Special Agency of the Milan Chamber of Commerce – under the auspices of the Italian Embassy in Lebanon, for the objective of strengthening the economic relations between the two Countries, and supporting the growth of trade exchange, investments and joint ventures.
The Lebanese delegation to Milan was composed of Raphael Debban?, the President of Lebitalia, Abdelwadoud Nsouli, Vice-Chairman, Albert Aoun, General Secretary and Mohammad Itani, Board Member, in addition to Dr. Nabil Fahed, Vice- Chairman and of the Chamber of Beirut & Mount Lebanon. HE the Consul General of Lebanon in Milan, Dr. Walid Haidar accompanied the delegation and coordinated the Lebitalia day in Milan.
The Italian host included Mrs. Chiara Fanali, Board Member of Milan Chamber of Commerce, Massimo Lamperti, Lebitalia's President in Italy and CEO of SUEZ Italia, Dr. Federico Bega, Head of the Strategic Areas of Promos, Stefano Azzali, Director, ISPRAMED and Secretary General, Milan Chamber of Arbitration/Milan Chamber of Commerce, in addition to Dr. Federico Carli, President, Associazione di Cultura Politica ed Economica Guido Carli.
Held in Assolombarda's headquarters in Milan and titled "Business Opportunities Between Italian and Lebanese Companies in Lebanon, Middle East & Third Countries", the workshop discussed ways of developing the Italian chapter of Lebitalia. Around 50 Italian companies took part in the workshop and showed interest in the membership and activities to be implemented within the Lebitalia framework. The workshop program included presentations by both the Lebanese delegates and the Italian hosts.
A round table on "Italy and Lebanon partnership and cooperation as a platform for inclusive growth and business development between Europe, the Middle East and the Arab World" was held at the Segreti Palace, by invitaion of Associazione di Cultura Politica ed Economica Guido Carli, and included a reception hosted by Mr. Carlo Radice Fossati. This notable reception created a valuable opportunity for networking and for discussing the economic potentials of Lebanon and Italy.
Cooperation between Italy and Lebanon got additional boost thanks to a visit by the Lebanese delegation to Mr. Fabrizio Sala, Vice President of the Lombardy Region and Regional Minister in charge for the internationalization of enterprises. The meeting with Mr. Sala provided an opportunity for the Lebanese delegation to illustrate the opportunities of the Lebanese market to many Italian entrepreneurs, fostering Italian-Lebanese partnerships through Lebitalia to develop initiatives in Lebanon, in the region and in many other third markets. Mr. Sala expressed his support and promised to provide all the necessary tools for making Lebitalia's mission a successful one.
Dr. Walid Haidar, the Consul General of Lebanon in Milan and his spouse, also organized a reception at their residence welcoming the Lebanese delegation and Italian .
In order to capitalize on the July 6 workshops' results and to officially launch the Italian Chapter of Lebitalia, a follow-up meeting was also held on July 19th, at the Promos – Milan Chamber of Commerce headquarters with the contribution of all Italian participants of the events held at Assolombarda and Associazione Guido Carli.
