Vietnam, Italy step up cooperation across multiple fields

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang and Undersecretary of State at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi co-chaired the seventh political consultation at the deputy ministerial level between the two countries in Rome on November 2.

The two sides briefed each other on their respective countries' socio-economic developments, reviewed bilateral cooperation in recent years and discussed orientations for further ties across key areas.

Both officials welcomed the close coordination and positive outcomes achieved since the previous consultation, including increased exchanges of delegations at various levels and through different channels, notably the successful official visit to Italy by National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man in April 2026. They also highlighted the effective use of bilateral cooperation mechanisms to deepen the Vietnam–Italy Strategic Partnership in a practical manner.

Tripodi said she is impressed with Vietnam’s achievements and strategic development goals towards 2030 and 2045, saying bilateral relations are thriving.

She affirmed that Vietnam is one of Italy’s important partners and its largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), stressing that Italy will continue to accompany Vietnam in the latter's future development.

On economic cooperation, Hang praised bilateral trade reaching a record 7.3 billion USD in 2025, surpassing the 7 billion USD target set in 2023. She called on both sides to sustain this growth momentum through the effective implementation of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

She also asked Italy to encourage the European Commission (EC) to promptly lift the “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and to urge the remaining five EU member states to ratify the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Agreeing with these proposals, Tripodi expressed satisfaction with the positive results of bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation, reaffirming Italy’s strong support for the EVFTA and the early ratification of the EVIPA.

The host noted that Italian businesses are showing strong interest in investment opportunities in Vietnam, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, biotechnology, and high-tech agriculture. They also want to promote collaboration in green energy transition, thermal power, the implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and offshore wind power.

The two sides agreed to step up joint trade and investment promotion activities to strengthen business links between the two countries.

In other areas, the officials agreed to effectively implement the Vietnam–Italy action plan for 2025–2026, with a vision to 2027, while advancing cooperation in defence, security, science – technology, and innovation. They welcomed the visit by an Italian naval vessel to Vietnam in September 2026.

In culture and education, they agreed to promote exchanges, jointly organise cultural events in both countries and continue sharing expertise and experience in heritage preservation. They also expressed readiness to provide scholarship opportunities for students from both countries.

Vietnam and Italy underscored the importance of continued close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums and international organisations, particularly the United Nations (UN), as well as stronger cooperation within the ASEAN–Italy and ASEAN–EU frameworks.

Sharing views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, they stressed that disputes should be settled by peaceful means in accordance with the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter.

Regarding the East Sea, both sides underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

During the visit, Hang also met with Mihaita Blaj, Undersecretary of the Section for Relations with States and International Organisations of the Holy See, to discuss measures to further strengthen cooperation between the two sides./.