The Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi, is on a mission to Vietnam to take part in periodic bilateral political consultations.
“Italy and Vietnam are bonded by profound relations of friendship and collaboration, which are reflected in the excellent state of our relations,” Tripodi commented during the meeting in Hanoi with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang. During the consultations, political relations, cooperation in the field of defence and security and dossiers concerning energy, development, research and the fight against climate change were discussed. On the fight against organised crime, Tripodi expressed satisfaction with Vietnam’s decision to host the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime in Hanoi in the near future. On the sidelines, negotiations were also concluded for the upcoming signing of the Action Plan, for the implementation of the 2025-2027 Strategic Partnership.
The Undersecretary then met with the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long, with whom she co-chaired the IX Italian-Vietnamese Joint Economic Commission. “Italy and Vietnam are economies linked by an evident strategic complementarity. For Italy, Hanoi is ASEAN’s primary trading partner, with over one billion of our investments in the country and a trade exchange of EUR 6 billion”, Tripodi recalled, encouraged by the results achieved and the growth prospects, with particular regard to the creation of new technological centres and special attention to the energy, agriculture and the environmental sectors.
During the visit, Tripodi also met with representatives of the Italian community and of the Italian economic system. “There are many examples of the success of our companies in Vietnam, which demonstrate not only the profound connection with this part of the world, but also the great potential for development for the future, also through the support of growth diplomacy”.
