The state of São Paulo, home to more than 10 million people of Italian descent, is “strategic” for relaunching and increasing relations between Brazil and Italy, especially in the year that marks the 150th anniversary of Italian immigration to the largest country in Latin America.
This is what the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Rome, Mary Tripodi (Força Itália), during a business forum promoted by consulate-General in the capital of São Paulo, an event attended by executives, institutional representatives and the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro.
After expressing the “greetings and gratitude” of Chancellor Antonio Tajani (FI), Tripodi highlighted that São Paulo is “strategic within Brazil and Latin America” and can be a starting point to reinforce “relations that are already great”. “But we need to increase them more and more”, said the undersecretary, who was “very satisfied with the desire for Italy that exists in Brazil”.
“I realized how grateful the Brazilian people are to all the Italians who helped the country develop.
We must also work to restore, 150 years after the sacrifice of the first Italian immigrants in Brazil, the just honor they deserve”, he highlighted.
Italy is Brazil's second trading partner in Europe and seventh in the world and has 986 companies in the South American country, more than half of which are headquartered in the state of São Paulo. “There is an important complementarity between our economies, but there is still a lot to build”, stated the consul general in the capital of São Paulo, Domenico Fornara.
Milena Del Grosso, director of the export promotion agency ICE in São Paulo, pointed out opportunities in sectors such as consumer goods, including furniture, but also fashion, audiovisual, video games and musical instruments. “And many collaborations can be encouraged in the agri-food sector, including with restaurants and hotels. The image that Brazil has of Italy is old and vice versa. A presentation from both parties is necessary to find possibilities for cooperation”, highlighted Del Grosso to ANSA.
In turn, the president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce of São Paulo (Italcam), Graziano Messana, highlighted the “enthusiasm” that exists among companies, including due to the presidencies of Italy and Brazil in the G7 and G20, respectively, and the 150 years of immigration. “We are in a year of unique coincidence, it is impossible for this moment to happen again. Brazil-Italy relations are at an unmissable moment of opportunity,” he said. (HANDLE)
