Rome, Italy.-The fifth edition of the Cuba-Italy Business Committee, being held today in this capital, examines the trade links between both nations and the opportunity of Italian businesspeople for investing in this Caribbean island.

Celia Labora, director of International Relations of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce (CCC), declared to Prensa Latina, that expectations of this meeting are great because it deals of examining what has been done in 2016 and perspectives for 2017.

This is a forum attended on the Cuban part by representatives of the agrifood sector, tourism, health, computer technologies, the financial and industrial branches, to reaffirm what has been done, as well as diversify and expand business relations between entities of the island and Italy, she detailed.

The agenda of this committee intends to review three development projects and sign another 11 agreements that will conform the action plan for the rest of this year and all of 2017, said Labora.

The three projects being followed, she explained, are related to the agrifood sector, one of them is a joint venture for the production and marketing of fresh stuffed pasta and another one aimed at reinforcing and diversifying exports of Cuban rum to Italy.

She added the third project is an alliance between insurance companies of both countries.

Those links contribute to strengthen trade between banking, insurance and others of the Cuban economy prioritized by the Caribbean country’s development plan and also ‘inserted in the directives of the new foreign investment law’, said Labora.

Also, everything discussed and analyzed in this meeting Cuba-Italy is associated to the investment opportunities in the Special Development Zone of Mariel, in western Cuba.

Thus, stressed the CCC official, this meeting is a further step to reinforce those opportunities, not only of trade, but also of investment of Italy in Cuba.

The delegation of the island attending the event is integrated by the Banks of Trade and Popular Savings, the ministers of Tourism, Industry and a representation of the People’s Power Provincial Assembly of Santiago de Cuba for its links with regional projects.

Also attending will be ProCuba, promotion agency of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment and the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, headed by its president Orlando Hernandez-Guillen.

The inaugural session was held at the venue of the Institute of Foreign Trade of Italy, in Rome, with the attendance of the Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca and the hosting peer of Economic Development, Carlo Calenda.