14 November 2016 – The Philippine Embassy in Rome organized and led a working mission in Florence on November 08. The Philippine Embassy in Rome currently chairs the ASEAN Committee in Rome (ACR).

Aside from the Philippine Ambassador to Rome, Ambassadors from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Viet Nam, and a Minister Counsellor from Thailand participated in the mission.

The delegation met with Florence Deputy Mayor Nicoletta Mantovani, Chamber of Commerce Secretary General Laura Benedetto and University of Florence Vice President for International Relations Professor Giorgia Giovannetti.

Philippine Ambassador to Rome Domingo P. Nolasco conveyed to Florence officials ACR’s readiness to partner and engage with local authorities and institutions to enhance political, economic and socio-cultural cooperation.

“The ASEAN market offers an excellent opportunity for Italian businesses to invest in and to sell their products to,” said Ambassador Nolasco as he underscored the vast opportunities in ASEAN with its market and consumer base of 629 million people and its annual real growth rate of 5.2%.

The ACR delegation undertook a series of meetings with officials from Florence to increase awareness and visibility of ASEAN in Italy, to promote economic opportunities for ASEAN and to create networks with local authorities and economic stakeholders.

The Philippine Embassy in Rome will chair the Committee from July to December 2016. END