The southern Binh Duong province and Italy’s Emilia Romagna region on October 16 signed a joint statement on strengthening bilateral friendship and cooperation, and an agreement on economic and trade cooperation.

Accordingly, the two sides agreed to enhance their friendship ties and expand cooperation in economy, science-technology, education-training and culture.

In the immediate future, Binh Duong province and Emilia Romagna region will focus on intensifying trade promotion and cooperation in industry, service and tourism sectors, and on exchanges and experience sharing activities in science-technology, education-training and culture-society.

The outcomes of the cooperation will serve as the foundation for the two sides to sign an official cooperation agreement.

Under the economic and trade cooperation agreement signed the same day, the two sides will create favourable conditions for their businesses to study each other’s markets and increase trade and investment promotion activities in sectors of great potential for mutually beneficiary cooperation.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Mai The Trung took the occasion to brief the Italian guests on the province’s current socio-economic situations.

Binh Duong province enjoys a growth rate double the national average and has so far attracted 2,174 foreign direct investment projects with total investment capital of 18.6 billion USD. Among them, Italian enterprises invested around 30 million USD in eight projects.

Trung said he hopes to see more Italian investors coming to the province.

According to President of the Legislative Assembly of Emilia Romagna region Palma Costi, Emilia Romagna has a population of 4.5 million. This is a wealthy region, with export turnover of industries reaching 50 billion EUR in 2012.-VNA