ROME, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The sound relationship between Italy and China will provide a great opportunity for Italy's design sector, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Tuesday in an opening speech at the 58th edition of the Milan Furniture Fair.

"We must create the best possible conditions to favor our companies and improve our exports, and surely our relationship with China offers a great opportunity," Conte said in a live televised speech.

"Italy is the number one European exporting country in the (furniture and design) sector," making up 30 percent of the European Union's furniture and design exports to the rest of the world, Conte said.

"In 2018 performance was good, with production equal to 42.6 billion euros (about 48 billion U.S. dollars), up 1.8 percent compared to the previous year in spite of an overall economic slowdown," he said.

Italy became the first Group of Seven member to join the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the prime minister said, adding that "in a few days I will be in China for the second Belt and Road Forum (for International Cooperation), and I hope to be accompanied by a great number of entrepreneurs."

The Milan Furniture Fair, held annually in the northern city of Milan, is part of the Milan Design Week, and showcases the latest in furniture and design from countries around the world.

The furniture fair alone, which also has editions in Moscow and Shanghai, attracts a yearly average of 370,000 visitors and exhibitors from 188 countries and regions, according to the organizers.