HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani and Italy’s Minister for Economic Development Federica Guidi chaired the fourth session of Qatar- Italy joint committee for economic co-operation in Doha yesterday.
During the session, the two sides held wide-ranging talks and reviewed aspects of co-operation in different sectors.  
In his remarks, HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani stressed the close relations between Qatar and Italy, which he said received further boost after the historic visit of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to Italy this year.  
He noted that the relations between the two countries were further enhanced after Qatar’s successful participation in the Expo Milan 2015, during which the Qatar Pavilion organiaed several important events that contributed significantly to the consolidation of relations in various fields, especially economic and investment sectors.  
The Minister of Economy and Commerce pointed to the meeting which he had held with Italian businessmen and investors on the sidelines of the Milan Expo and focused on the opportunities available for investment in Qatar.  
The Minister described Italy as a strategic partner of Qatar, as the total trade exchange between the two countries reached about $3bn in 2015, accounting for 2.8% of Qatar’s foreign trade, adding that the total number of joint ventures operating in Qatar exceeded 200 companies.
 HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani added that Italy is a favourable destination for Qatari investments in various economic sectors and activities, adding that this embodied the keenness of the State of Qatar on dedicating part of its resources for investment in strategic economies, where there are promising investment opportunities.
Concluding his remarks, he hoped that the proposals and recommendations examined and discussed during the meetings of the joint committee would open up new prospects for the development of business sector in order to serve the interests of both countries.
The two sides reviewed the relations of co-operation in many fields, including economy, trade, investment, transport, communications, energy, industry, customs, banking, agriculture, and tourism.
They agreed to take steps to strengthen and develop economic relations to increase the volume of trade, and facilitate the flow of goods, services and investments between them. They reiterated willingness to intensify and increase cooperation to activate the previously reached agreements and memoranda of understanding.
HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani and Federica Guidi signed the minutes of the meeting.