RA President Serzh Sargsyan met with the representatives of business community in Italy.

RA President Serzh Sargsyan's working visit to Italy and Vatican launched on December 12. The meetings of the head of the republic with His Holiness Pope  Benedict XVI, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, Chairman of Chamber of MPs Janfranko Fini, State Secretary of Vatican Cardinal Tarchitsio Bertone, and Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno were in the agenda.

In Rome President Serzh Sargsyan visited "Dvin: Armenian Capital between Europe and Asia" exhibition at Brask Museum. In Venice RA President participated in "Armenia: Imprints of Civilization" exhibition dedicated to 500th anniversary of Armenian book printing and opened under the sponsorship of the presidents of the two countries.

In Venice Serzh Sargsyan also met with members of Mkhitarian Congregation and with representatives of organizations of the Armenian community of Italy. The President's meeting with Armenologists arrived in Italy from different countries of the world on the occasion of "Armenia: Imprints of Civilization" exhibition was also held. Afterward Serzh Sargsyan visited Venice Mayors' Office, where he attended the signing ceremony of an agreement on proclaiming Venice and Yerevan sister towns. Within the frameworks of the visit, the President met with representatives of the business community of Italy.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Italy have been established on March 17, 1992. The Armenian Embassy in Italy opened in March, 1995, and in 2000 September the Italian Embassy in Armenia opened in Yerevan. RA second president Robert Kocharyan visited Italy in 1999 and 2005. There are over a dozen of protocols, agreements and memorandums signed between Armenia and Italy.

The trade turnover between the two countries makes about USD130 million.