Ambassador De Riu at Trieste Conference: «Fostering Kosovo’s Integration through Culture and “Made in Italy”»

Italy aims at bringing Kosovo closer to Italian culture and business, in the perspective of its European integration. This was stated by the Italian Ambassador to Kosovo, Antonello De Riu, speaking at the national conference held in Trieste on ‘Italy and the Western Balkans: growth and integration’. Italy is Kosovo’s fifth largest trading partner and is pursuing its goal of rapprochement ‘by leveraging its cultural strength and its image of a country where innovation, technology and the quality of made in Italy can make the difference.’ The first pillar is for De Riu economic diplomacy. “The Business Forum announced by Italian Foreign Minister Tajani will be an important opportunity for our companies to get in touch with their Kosovar counterparts in the sectors of wood furniture, agri-food, metal and plastic processing, textile, green technology and constructions. In the same spirit, the ‘Green innovation days’, an initiative promoted by the Italian Embassy to Kosovo, aim “to bring together Italian and Kosovar companies and research institutions, to contribute to an ecological transition”, explained the diplomat.