Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday attended a dinner in Rome with the bosses of some 20 top Italian companies, promoted by Turkey's ISPAT investment agency, Italian think-tank ISPI and tyre manufacturer Pirelli.
Around 20 Italian exporters were due at the dinner being held at the luxury Westin Excelsior hotel on via Veneto near the Spanish Steps amid tight security, Adnkronos International learned.
The companies include Astaldi, Barilla, Fincantieri, Leonardo, Ferrovie dello Stato, Cementir Holding, Ferrero, Snam, Unicredit, Salini and Pirelli. Barilla vice-president Paolo Barilla, Unicredit board member Fabrizio Saccomanni, Salini CEO Pietro Salini, Leonardo chairman Giovanni De Gennaro and Pirelli executive vice-chairman and CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera were all due to attend.
Erdogan, a Turkish ministerial delegation, Vincenzo Boccia, the president of Italy's main private business association Confindustria, Italy's ambassador to Turkey, Luigi Mattiolo, the director-general of Italy's foreign affairs ministry Elisabetta Belloni, and ISPI president Giampiero Massolo were also slated to attend the dinner.
The dinner was Erdogan's last engagement on a one-day visit to Rome aimed at boosting bilateral ties. Earlier on Monday he met Pope Francis, Italy's head of state Sergio Mattarella and prime minister Paolo Gentiloni, as well as foreign minister Angelino Alfano and defence minister Roberta Pinotti.
