VISITS by high-ranking Italian Government officials, trade delegations and the signing of important bilateral pacts last year helped elevate the level of co-operation between Hong Kong and Rome while also improving dialogue and understanding.
At the same time, the long-standing friendship between the two trading partners has resulted in mutually beneficial programmes in the academic and cultural spheres.
One of the important attempts at strengthening co-operation was the agreement signed between the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade and the University of Hong Kong (UHK) for an economic research programme aimed at upgrading industry standards.
''This academic agreement is a statement of good will,'' Folco de Luca, the Consul General of Italy, said. ''It was a new initiative for us.'' The academic research agreement was signed by the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade president Marcelo Inghilesi and Professor Wang Gungwu, the Vice Chancellor of UHK.
''The idea is interesting. We want to try to work together at the academic level so that we can improve contact between business and the academic field,'' Mr De Luca said.
Another bilateral agreement, signed in a climate of substantial growth of commercial relations between Italy, Hong Kong and China, is now being translated.