Doha – Giovanni Castellaneta, President of SACE, the CDP Group, will take part today and tomorrow in the business mission to Qatar led by the Minister of Economic Development Federica Guidi. Although the impact of geopolitical tensions in the region and the downward trend in raw material prices remain factors to be monitored, Qatar’s sound economy offers good growth potential for Italian exports (over 5% in the next two years according to Sace forecasts). The country’s favorable business climate features some of the best credit risk profiles in the area (equivalent to 26/100 in the SACE risk Index). For the past three years, Qatar grew at average rates of over 6%, and the overall outlook remains positive in the medium term, despite an expected 4% moderate decrease of GDP between 2015 and 2018 caused by oil prices. Today, Italy is Qatar’s 7th trading partner, and the 3rd in Europe, after Germany and Great Britain. (9Colonne)