Italy backed efforts to lift visa procedures between the two countries, Bernardini said during a Turkish-Italian business seminar in Izmir.

Bernardini said there were 827 Italian companies in Turkey, and two more companies were established this year.

The consul expressed belief that trade relations would improve as language courses were given at chambers of industry and commerce.

Moreover, Zeynep Bodur Okyay, the chairperson of Turkish-Italian Business Council's Executive Board, said Italian investments in Turkey had been on a significant rise in the last two years.

Okyay said there were only 106 companies with Italian capital in Turkey since 2009, however this number was up to 870 in 2010.

"Italy and Turkey are significant partners," Okyay said.

Okyay also said two countries had broad cooperation possibilities in other countries, particularly Eurasian and Mediterranean countries.

Italy's direct investments in Turkey was up 16 percent to 289 million USD year-on-year in 2010.Turkey's exports to Italy reached 6.5 billion USD by the end of 2010, and its imports from this country rose to 10.2 billion USD from 7.8 billion.

Trade volume between the two countries was up 23 percent to 15.7 billion USD from 13.5 billion in the same period.