(AGI) Rome, Feb 2 - An Italian trade mission to Egypt, led by Minister of Economic Development Federica Guidi, is due to begin work on Wednesday. The team will explore different areas and sectors of activity with a view to building up commercial exchanges and increasing the number of Italian companies with a foothold in Egypt. These include not just small and medium-sized companies interested in setting up production facilities and making the most of Egypt's competitive advantages, but also large companies, for whom the country could become a privileged partner once again. This is the first visit to Egypt by an Italian Minister of Economic Development for many years. The delegation comprises 60 companies and representatives from the Italian export credit agency SACE, the Italian financial development institution SIMEST and the leading Italian business association Confindustria, according to the Ministry of Economic Development. Ms Guidi will meet Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, the economic ministers, the Suez Canal Authority and other officials. The meetings also afford an opportunity to outline the agenda for the government summit that Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi hopes to hold shortly in Egypt. High value contracts will be signed during the course of the mission, geared to bolstering trade between the two countries, currently worth over four billion euros, with growing exports worth more than two billion euros. (AGI).
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