Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, met President Zuzana Čaputová and Prime Minister Eduard Heger during his visit to the Slovak Republic, and he arranged to meet also with Italian companies established in Slovakia.
The encounter took place at the residence of the Mayor of Bratislava, Matúš Vallo, where President Mattarella met about a hundred Italians who live and work in Slovakia. The meeting was attended by Roberto Vercelli, President of Camit (Italian-Slovak Chamber of Commerce) and Giorgio Dovigi, Secretary General of Camit, who were welcomed by the Italian Ambassador in Bratislava, Catherine Flumiani, who mentioned her recent visit (in December 2022) to the Immergas Europe plant in Poprad (active since 2008 in the Presov region) where she had met the General Manager, Pasquale Berardinetti, and the workforce (130 employees).
Immergas Europe has grown to reach a turnover of around 70 million Euro thanks to overall investments amounting to about 15 million Euro and, with its new expansions, it now covers a surface area of more than 15,000 square metres.
Only a portion of the Poprad factory output (about 180,000 units per year) is intended for Slovakia (around 5%), the rest being exported mainly to Romania and China but also to Algeria, Russia, Poland, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Greece, Estonia and the Czech Republic.
«It was an honour to attend the meeting with President Mattarella - commented Pasquale Berardinetti – an honour to shake hands with our Head of State on behalf of the whole of Immergas at a meeting that underlined the active role of Italian companies in the development of Slovakia, and the value of the cooperation between two countries that identify within the European Union scenario».
In his speech to the Italian community in Slovakia, President Mattarella stressed the wonderful relationship between Slovakia and Italy. And he added that this friendship is strengthened by the presence of the Italian community in the country, because: «they know Italy mostly through you. I would like to express my gratitude to you, members of the Italian community in Slovakia, for the bond you keep with Italy, which is mirrored in the friendship between our two countries. This is evidence of the closeness between Slovakia and Italy also at a political, economic and cultural level, which is an assurance and guarantee of continued cooperation in the future. Thank you for what you do, it was a pleasure meeting you».
