Chief Secretary Carrie Lam began a visit to Rome where she will call on officials and have dinner with Italian Parliament members.
Mrs Lam met with Italy's Deputy Minister for Economic Development Carlo Calenda. Both sides agreed to explore further collaboration in areas including culture and creative industries, wine business, and innovation and technology.
Mrs Lam said that Italian companies have already been using Hong Kong as a platform for fundraising and for venturing into the vast Mainland Chinese market. She encouraged Italian companies to establish a presence in Hong Kong, to benefit from the advantages the city offers.
Mrs Lam also met with Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Benedetto Della Vedova to provide an update on the latest political and economic developments in Hong Kong.
She said she looked forward to closer ties between the two places, not only in trade and investment but also in cultural exchanges, adding that Hong Kong is interested in establishing a reciprocal working holiday scheme with Italy.
Such arrangements would allow Hong Kong's young people to experience foreign cultures by living and working temporarily overseas, while promoting the development of tourism and further ties between Hong Kong and Italy, she said.
Mrs Lam also attended a lunch hosted by China's Ambassador to Italy Li Ruiyu, and thanked the embassy for its assistance in promoting relations between the two places, and helping Hong Kong citizens in need.
