Organized in the framework of the project  “Investment Promotion for Iraq – Phase II” funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and implemented by UNIDO, UNIDO ITPO Italy's webinar “Strumenti Finanziari di Supporto all’Export in Iraq” took place online on 22 June 2021.

The conference highlighted tools and solutions to access the Iraqi market, with the goal of guiding and supporting Italian companies interested in doing business in the country in their process of innovation, growth and internationalization.

The panel opened with the welcome remarks of UNIDO ITPO Italy Head Diana Battaggia, who emphasized the key role of inclusive and sustainable partnerships between the Italian and Iraqi private sector towards the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, and the institutional remarks of Bruno Antonio Pasquino, Ambassador at the Embassy of Italy in Iraq, with an overview of the current political and economical scenario in terms of foreign investment through institutions and international organizations.

Moderated by UNIDO ITPO Italy Investment Promotion Expert Andrea Carapellese, the discussion saw the intervention of several representatives of the export and internationalization pole of the Italian system: among these, Luca Maci, Manager for Infrastructure and Energy in Development Financing at Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, illustrating services and sectors of intervention offered to the Italian companies operating in developing countries and local partners fort the realization of energy plants, infrastructures, agribusiness and manifacturing; Angelico Iadanza, Senior Relationship Manager at SACE, who show the main coverage by SACE in the MENA area to facilitate Italian export in different sectors of the regione, thanks to customized digitalized solutions for enterprise access to financing and credit lines for investment; and Carlo de Simone, Responsabile Indirect Channels at SIMEST, who presented the institutional role and financial contribution of  SIMEST during the implementation of an insutrial export project.

Notably, the initiative also featured the presentation of a company success case: Giuseppe di Carpegna, Director General of the Manufacturing Division of Gruppo Desmet Ballestra, who had the chance to benefit from the services of both SACE and SIMEST to succesfully access and penetrate several markets of developing countries, among which Iraq.

The event concluded after an interactive Q&A session, during which representatives of Italian SMEs who took part in the conference had the opportunity to directly ask questions to the panel speakers, furthering the debate on specific topics of interest and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and know-how and contributing to the development of trade cooperation between Italy and Iraq.