Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso met on Friday with a forum of senior managers from prominent Italian companies, including dozens of company heads.

Speaking at Urso’s ministry in Rome, Netanyahu answered the company heads' questions on water solutions in Israel in light of the drought that Italy has experienced in recent years, digital health and the Israeli experience in the field, and cyber and securing vital infrastructure and the potential for Italian-Israeli cooperation in this field, among others.

Netanyahu said that in the near future, everything will be technologically based, and, therefore, the future will belong to those who innovate. As an example, the Prime Minister mentioned Japan, which a few years ago, as a result of his visit there and the arrival of the Japanese Prime Minister in Israel, along with many important businesspeople, has seen a jump in bilateral trade worth billions of dollars.

Netanyahu said that in his view, there is great potential for commercial and economic cooperation with Italy as well, which constitutes a major opportunity.

Netanyahu said that in his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, he will propose holding a G2G meeting and a large meeting of businesspeople from both countries. He added that such a meeting has major potential for cooperation and is an opportunity for the economic growth of both countries.

Referring to the shooting attack in Tel Aviv last night, Netanyahu told Urso:

"I thank you for your words of condolences for those wounded in the murderous terrorist attack yesterday in Tel Aviv. Italy experienced terror. All free societies must fight terror together. I appreciate your words as an expression of that basic policy that we continuously adopt together, and we cooperate against terror. So thank you again."

The Italian government is currently investing 200 billion Euro in upgrading infrastructure combined with digitization, sustainability and a cyclical economy. Thus, Israeli companies have a unique opportunity to be a source of technology and innovation in this process. Simultaneously, Italian companies are interested the tenders that are anticipated in Israel in energy, security equipment and infrastructure.

In the last two years, Israeli exports to Italy have doubled, and amounted to $1.5 billion at the end of 2022.