Rome (VNA) – The 8th meeting of the Vietnam-ItalyJoint Committee for Economic Cooperation was held in Rome from October 17-18.

At the meeting, co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Ministerof Iܫndustry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan and Italian Undersecretary of State forForeign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi, the two sidesdiscussed and assessed major economic and commercial cooperation contents,particularly in trade, energy, agriculture, industrial machines, garments,footwear🗹 and stone exploitation.

The two sides proposed and agreed on plans to be implementedin the coming time to promote import-export turnover between the two countriesafter an interruption since the beginning of the year. They also talked about measures to take advantage of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to bring the two countries’ economic cooperation to new heights in linewith the joint statement released during President Vo Van Thuong’s State visitto Italy in July 2023. Tan emphasised that the traditionalfriendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Italy have beenstrengthened and developed, adding that Vietnam recognised Italy’s attention to Vietnam in its recent development cooperation policy. For her part, Tripodi acknowledged that Vietnam isconsidered a "bright spot" in economic growth as its growth rate,import-export turnover and foreign investment attraction are all at  highlevels despite the fact that Vietnam is also being affected by supply chaindisruption and falling global demand due to the world’s complex geopoliticalsituation. At the end of the meeting, the two sides signed the minutes of the meeting and agreed that the next meeting would be held in Vietnam in 2024. On the occasion of the joint committee’s meeting, theVietnam Embassy in Italy on October 18 held a workshop on Vietnam-Italyeconomic, investment cooperation with a focus on sustainable investment and newenergy. Speaking at the workshop, Vietnamese Ambassador to ItalyDuong Hai Hung said that it was an opportunity for businesses and policy makersfrom the two countries to meet, and exchange information, views, and strategiesto further strengthen business connection. They are also expected to join in addressing major challengesin sustainable development and create new values, and new benefits for businesscommunities of the two countries. At the workshop, Tan emphasised that Vietnamis seen as an emerging centre in the global supply chain. Vietnam-Italy investment and trade ties have made impressive progress and are fully capable of bringing two-way trade turnover to 7billion USD thanks to the structure of import-export goods of the two countriesthat are complementary to each other. With the EVFTA, import-export turnover between the twocountries has increased by 21.1% in 2021 and 11% in 2022. Thanks to thestrategic locations of the two countries, they become a bridge between the twomost dynamic economic regions of the world and their trade potential is stillvery large, he said./.