The Embassy in Rome cooperates with the Italian-Icelandic Chamber of Commerce
Considerable interest in increasing relations
The Italian-Icelandic Chamber of Commerce and the Icelandic Embassy in Rome have enjoyed working together on several projects. Their latest venture is organizing a general meeting of the chamber this winter. The Business service of the foreign ministry partakes in the effort. The chairperson of the chamber is Gudjon Runarsson, the executive director of Icelandic Financial Services Association (IFSA; the Icelandic abbreviation is SFF). In a business seminar conducted in Reykjavík on the 18th of May, participants expressed considerable interest in strengthening the chamber. The participants were companies interested in trade in Italy as well as others with connection to Italy. The then foreign minister of Iceland, Mrs. Valgerdur Sverrisdottir, addressed the seminar. Among listeners was the Italian ambassador to Iceland, Mrs. Anna Rosa Coniglio.
Italian days
Around the same time, the supermarket Hagkaup celebrated Italian days in all of their stores. This they did to promote a new brand, Italia, which consists of foods imported from the area of Tuscany in Italy. To promote it they sent brochures on the subject to every home in Reykjavík and Akureyri. The restaurant La Primavera also took part in Italian days by inviting an Italian chef to work at the restaurant for a week. Italian participants in the meeting also visited companies in the Reykjavík area that do business in Italy or with Italian companies.
Icelandic companies looking to Italy
The business seminar and Italian days presented an excellent opportunity to boost the profile of the chamber, attract attention to the business opportunities that exist between those two countries as well as to encourage more companies to register. Furthermore, it seems that Icelandic companies are increasingly looking to Italy for business opportunities. The Icelandic shipping company Eimskip opened up their second office in Italy this spring, in Genoa. In doing so, it hoped to strengthen its position in the Italian market. Eimskip also has an office in Milan. It should also be mentioned that Kepler Equities SA, which the Icelandic bank Landsbankinn acquired little less than two years ago, operates in Milan.
