Vietnam represents a world of opportunities for businesses and foreign investors with a market of over 100 million people, a young demographic structure, and a growing middle class among Asian countries. For Italy, Vietnam is one of the 20 priority countries for trade and investment promotion. Vietnam is also considered the golden gateway to access ASEAN, which represents over 670 million consumers.
This served as the foundation for the development of the first Vietnam-Italy Partnership and Collaboration Conference, held on October 17, 2024, in Bologna.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and the Embassy of Vietnam in Italy, in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Region, Fondazione Italia-Vietnam ETS, institutions, trade associations, and the Chamber System. Representatives from three Vietnamese provinces – Kon Tum, Nghe An, and Ha Nam – explored partnership opportunities between Vietnamese and Italian institutions and businesses, especially in specific sectors such as agriculture, food and beverage, industry, manufacturing, machinery, renewable energy, and other industries.
Emilia-Romagna, the host region of the event, serves as a model for institutional and commercial relations between Italy and Vietnam. In 2023, Emilia-Romagna’s exports to Vietnam amounted to approximately $176 million, with about 45% in machinery (source: Unioncamere Emilia-Romagna), accounting for 40% of Italy’s total exports.
“We are truly honored that Vietnam chose to organize the first Interprovincial Conference for Partnership and Collaboration between Italy and Vietnam in Bologna,” stated Maily Anna Maria Nguyen, president of Fondazione Italia-Vietnam ETS, delegate of the Vietnamese Embassy for Emilia-Romagna and Umbria, and Honorary Advisor to the Ambassador. “I recall that Emilia-Romagna in 2013 was a trailblazer in a new era of relations between Italy and Vietnam, which have continued and strengthened over time. In 2023, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two countries. We are now entering a new phase of development cooperation, with a sustainable approach.
