Dialogue established for Thai, Italian firms
Last weekend, 26 major Italian and Thai companies gathered in Milan for the first meeting of the Italian-Thai Business Forum.
The forum was initiated by Italian Ambassador Francesco Saverio Nisio and Isara Vongkusolkit, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand.
It was supported by the Italian Foreign Ministry and Confindustria, the General Confederation of Italian Industry.
The idea met an enthusiastic response from leading Italian companies and the members of the two Thai organisations.
The two Thai bodies can count assets of US$315 billion (Bt11.3 trillion).
By establishing a "private-sector-only" channel of dialogue at the highest level of the business communities of Italy and Thailand, they hope to promote two-way trade from $3.8 billion in the last four years and also investment.
This direct link establishes an informal group that can discuss common issues in meetings to be held alternatively in Italy and Thailand, with a view to paving the way for SME cooperation.
The industries invol-ved so far range from automobile to banking, cement, food, infrastructure, insurance, lifestyle, oil and gas, steel machinery, sugar and renewable energy, retail, rubber, petrochemicals and tourism.
The next meeting is scheduled for 2016 in Bangkok.
