Amb. Brandi,strong trade with Singapore but can grow

(ANSA) - ROMA, 16 DIC - The trade exchange between Italy and Singapore is strong, about 4 billion, but it can grow more". This was said by Italy's ambassador to Singapore, Dante Brandi, on the sidelines of the annual ambassadors' meeting at the Farnesina.
    "The free trade agreement between the EU and Singapore has just turned five years old," he added, "and it has been the driving force behind the expansion of trade between the two continents, but with the agreement on digital services and the strong investments coming from Singapore to Italy in crucial sectors such as semiconductors, bilateral economic relations can further intensify.
    "Singapore, moreover," the ambassador continued, "is 'equivocal' to the US and China and stands as a platform for dialogue between the two global superpowers. The country hosts Asia's most important security defence forum every year where the US defence secretary and the Chinese defence minister meet. Thus, Singapore plays an intermediary role by offering a platform for dialogue to these two superpowers, also stimulating a further integration of Asean, the ten countries of South East Asia, which will increasingly integrate following a different model from that of the European Union, as there are still many differences in development between the different countries'.