(ANSA) - TRIESTE - The international conference 'Support Local Enterprises and SMEs along China's Belt and Road Initiative', in programme for May 19th at the Verdi Theatre in Trieste, will focus on the one trillion dollars worth initiative of the Chinese Government introduced recently with the aim to reinforce the logistic infrastructure for the transport of goods and services from China to Europe. The conference, organised by the Central European Intiative (CEI) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with the support of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Municipality of Trieste, will dedicate particular attention to the opportunities for growth for the small and medium enterprises in South-East Europe in the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Representatives of the governments of Italy and of the countries of the Western Balkans, of the EU institutions, the EBRD, European Investment Bank (EIB), the World Bank, Chinese financial institutions and of the private sector will attend the conference. The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Graziano Delrio, will participate on behalf of the Italian Government. The event will represent an occasion to discuss around the topic of Chinese trade and the investments in the region with the aim of identifying priority areas and removing potential commercial barriers. "The conference aims to be the first of a series of annual appointments with the aim of developing a platform among the leading public and private stakeholders in South-East Europe - an initiative perfectly in line with the core mission of the CEI, which has served as a platform for dialogue and integration of the countries of the region for the past 25 years", said the CEI Secretary-General, Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri, during the presentation of the event held on Tuesday at the CEI headquarters in Trieste. "I am particularly satisfied that Trieste has been chosen as the venue of this important international encounter", said Debora Serracchiani, the President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

The programme of the conference includes an overview of the Belt and Road Initiative, followed by two sessions dedicated to the examination of the existing infrastructure in SEE and the development perspectives and by two panels focused on the opportunities for SMEs. The conference will also offer an insight into the EBRD activities dedicated to the support of SMEs and into the role the CEI can play for the Italian companies interested in those instruments. On the margins of the conference, a delegation composed of the representatives of the institutions, Chinese entrepreneurs, experts from the CEI and the EBRD will visit the Trieste Port Authority. (ANSA).