Vietnam - Italy expand economic cooperation, towards comprehensive strategic partnership

In his opening speech, the leader of the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance emphasized that Vietnam and Italy have a traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation that has been constantly strengthened and developed. Italy is Vietnam's leading important partner in Europe, while Vietnam is Italy's key partner in Southeast Asia. This forum is an important milestone to promote investment, trade and business cooperation between the two countries in a practical, effective and comprehensive manner.

On the morning of September 4, the Ministry of Finance coordinated with the Italian Trade Promotion Agency (ITA) and the Italian National Industry Confederation (Confindustria) to organize the Vietnam - Italy Business Forum.

Deputy Minister of Finance Ho Sy Hung speaks at the forum. Photo: PV

Deputy Minister of Finance Ho Sy Hung affirmed that the Vietnam-Italy relationship has four similarities and is effectively complementary to each other. These are: being a reliable partner; having a complementary and mutually promoting economy; having warm and sincere feelings; and sharing a common aspiration for peace and strong development.

Deputy Minister Ho Sy Hung said that since establishing the Strategic Partnership in 2013, the bilateral relationship between the two countries has achieved many proud achievements, becoming one of the models for regional cooperation.

Italy is currently Vietnam's third largest trading partner in the EU. In the first 7 months of 2025, two-way trade turnover reached more than 4.3 billion USD, up 5.1% over the same period in 2024. Vietnam's export turnover to Italy reached 3.1 billion USD, up 4.5% over the same period in 2024. Import turnover reached 1.2 billion USD, up 6.7% over the same period in 2024.

Regarding investment cooperation, Italian investors currently have 162 projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of over 624 million USD, ranking 32nd out of 151 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. In contrast, Vietnam has invested in 01 project in Italy with a total investment capital of nearly 700,000 USD.

“In addition to the positive results achieved, the room and potential for economic , trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Italy still has great room to continue to develop,” said Deputy Minister Ho Sy Hung.

Overview of the forum. Photo: PV

To contribute to exploiting this potential more strongly and effectively, and at the same time improve the quality and effectiveness of cooperation between the business communities of the two countries, the representative of the Ministry of Finance said that Vietnam hopes that Italian enterprises, with their experience, resources and reputation, will support Vietnam in accessing investment sources, green and sustainable financial sources and investment sources for science, technology and innovation.

“With the policy of cooperation and selective foreign investment attraction, aiming at quality, efficiency, technology and environmental protection, Vietnam prioritizes attracting investment projects in industries and fields such as: green economy, digital economy, circular economy, knowledge economy; science and technology, innovation; new energy, renewable energy; development of international financial centers, green finance; agriculture, high-tech industry; trade, tourism, etc.,” Mr. Ho Sy Hung stated.

In addition, the Deputy Minister also asked Italian investors to support Vietnamese enterprises to participate more deeply in the global supply chain; at the same time, he hoped that Italy would have a voice in urging the European Union to soon ratify the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), in order to expand the space for cooperation and effectively exploit the two major markets of ASEAN and the EU. In addition, the two sides need to strengthen cooperation in new areas such as digital economy, green economy, circular economy and energy transition, especially in renewable energy development to realize the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

The representative of the Ministry of Finance affirmed that they always attach importance to and listen to the opinions of the business community, are ready to dialogue to remove difficulties and obstacles, and constantly improve the legal framework, mechanisms and policies to create a favorable, equal and attractive business environment for the development of businesses in the spirit of "win-win", contributing to the friendship and common prosperity of the two countries.

Also within the framework of the Forum, more than 10 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed, covering key areas such as: Innovation and Industry 4.0, energy and infrastructure, finance-insurance cooperation, trade promotion and tourism. These are important documents, opening up new directions of cooperation, contributing to creating a foundation for businesses of the two countries to implement specific projects in the coming time.

Partners exchanged MOUs at the Forum. Photo: PV

In addition, the Forum also organized 4 thematic discussion sessions with the following topics: Mechanical machinery and agricultural technology; Energy transition and circular economy; Infrastructure and transport; High technology and innovation. The working sessions provided updated information on policies, potentials, and development orientations of Vietnam and Italy, while creating a space for businesses to exchange and discuss cooperation opportunities.

The Vietnam-Italy Business Forum 2025 demonstrated the determination of the two governments in creating a favorable environment for the business community, while contributing to promoting the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership, towards the goal of upgrading to a comprehensive strategic partnership in the coming period.

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/viet-nam-italia-mo-rong-hop-tac-kinh-te-huong-toi-doi-tac-chien-luoc-toan-dien-3184688.html