YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian-Italian trade relations have a positive dynamics of development in the recent years.

Although the ties suffered a setback due to economic crises, they still recorded growth tendency.

Current bilateral trade turnover volumes prove continuous development.

2012-2014 turnover was 180 million dollars.

In the first 4 months of 2017 exports comprised 8,239,200 dollars, while imports amounted to more than 39 million dollars – a growth of roughly 2 and 4 million dollars respectively against the previous year.

The first session of the Armenian-Italian intergovernmental commission tool place June 7, 2017 in Rome, followed by a business forum.

Armenia mostly exports textile products to Italy, while imports comprise machinery, textiles, chemical materials, furniture and pharmaceuticals.

Products imported from Italy to Armenia mostly include clothing, equipment, footwear, food and furniture.

Armenia mostly exports raw leather, fur, precious and semi-precious stones.

Sectors of mutual commercial cooperation interest include construction, agriculture, tourism, textile and chemical industry.

Major investments from Italy were carried out in Armenia by RENCO, a construction company, and LOVABLE ITALIANA, a fashion retailer.

Military cooperation

The defense ministries of Armenia and Italy signed a cooperation agreement back in 2012 during then-minister of defense of Italy Giampaolo Di Paola’s visit to Yerevan.

During the visit the minister spoke about the involvement of Armenian peacekeepers in UNIFIL.  The Armenian side debated the issue and gave a positive response.

A 32-man contingent was later deployed to Lebanon in 2014 to serve in UNIFIL under the Italian command.

During a 2015 visit to Italy, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting with Italian defense minister Roberta Pinotti.

During the visit an agreement was reached on increasing the number of Armenian peacekeepers to 60.

In March of 2017, the first military political Armenian-Italian consultations were held in Yerevan – focusing on international, regional security and bilateral cooperation.

Decentralized cooperation.

Cooperation with Italian regions is also promising in terms of developing commercial ties, because the regions of Italy has a rather autonomous trade-economic policy.

Yerevan and Carrara have been proclaimed sister cities in 1967.

Direct contacts have been established between various Armenian and Italian cities (Yerevan-Toscana, Gavar – Priverno, Gyumri – Nardo etc).

On the sidelines of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s 2011 visit to Italy, Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan and Venice Mayor Giorgio Orsoni signed an agreement on launching the process of proclaiming the cities to be sister cities.

In 2012, the Venice Mayor, and president of the province of Milan Guido Podestà visited Yerevan to participate in the World Book Capital event.

 Italian officials including Carrara  Mayor Angelo Zubbani, visited Yerevan for the Erebuni-Yerevan celebrations in 2013.

In 2013, Nardo and Ashtarak began cooperating after a document was signed during the visit of Nardo Mayor to Armenia. On the sidelines of the same visit, a cooperation and friendship memorandum was signed between Gyumri and Nardo.

President Serzh Sargsyan is currently in Italy and is expected to meet President Sergio Mattarella on April 6.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan