Chinese President Arrives In Italy For First Official Visit

ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd March, 2019) Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived late on Thursday in Italy for the first official visit to the country at the invitation of his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

Xi arrived in Rome with his wife Peng Liyuan and a delegation of more than 400 people that includes members of the government, senior officials, business people and cultural figures.

The official program of the visit will kick off on Friday when Xi meets Mattarella, Senate President Elisabetta Casellati and President of the parliament's lower house Roberto Fico.

At the same time, Italy will host three bilateral events: a business forum, a cultural forum and a meeting on economic cooperation with third countries.

On Saturday, Xi will leave Rome for the Sicilian city of Palermo.

One of the key events scheduled for Xi's visit is his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and signing a memorandum of understanding on Italy's participation in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

After Italy, Xi will also visit Monaco and France.