Business forum “Ukraine – the most dynamic European partner” took place in Venice (Italy) on 29 May 2013. The forum, opened by the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Kostyantyn Hryshchenko, is one of the events organized within Ukrainian participation in this year’s Venice Biennale.

The business forum was attended by more than 100 representatives of Italian and Ukrainian companies including those in machinery building, agriculture, financial services, construction, as well as representatives of chambers of commerce, trade promotion agencies, Ukrainian and Italian regional administrations. During the forum Ukrainian and Italian participants had an opportunity to discuss general economic situation in Europe, bilateral trade between our states, as well as a number of specific issues referring to intensification of economic cooperation in the free trade area, soon to be set up between Ukraine and the EU. Realization of existing business opportunities as well as ways of stimulation of bilateral trade and investments were also discussed.

In particular, the forum was widely attended by the companies from the region of Veneto, which has one of the most developed economies in Italy. The share of 20% of Italian export to Ukraine is produced by businesses of Veneto, which has the GDP comparable in volume to that of Ukraine. It is a location for about 400 000 small and medium enterprises which in search of new markets for Italian goods and services in Europe could provide inexhaustible potential for further development of bilateral business, trade and investment between Ukraine and Italy.