Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung speaks at the Meet Asia in Rome (Photo: Duong Hoa/VNA)

Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy, Duong Hai Hung, said at the event that the Vietnam-Italy Strategic Partnership has grown strongly. Vietnam is currently Italy’s largest trading partner within ASEAN, with bilateral trade reaching 6.9 billion USD last year, marking a 13% increase from the previous year.

The presence of major Italian firms such as Leonardo, along with financial institutions like SACE and Simest in Vietnam, has strengthened trade and investment ties while promoting Made in Italy products in the Vietnamese market, he added.

The participants discussed the cultural and historical connections between Italy and its four key Asian partners – Vietnam, Thailand, China, and Japan.

Francesca Leoncini, a representative of the Rome City Council, said that Asia is a promising market for Italian businesses. She underscored Vietnam’s growth potential, which both Rome and the Italian government consider a key priority in its partnership development strategy.