Vietnam and Italy convene the 7th meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation in Hanoi on June 7. (Photo: moit.gov.vn)

Co-organised by Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the meeting was chaired by Minister Dang Hoang An on the Vietnamese side and Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Manlio di Stefano on the Italian side.

The event was attended by regulators, enterprises and business associations from both countries.

The two sides exchanged views and reviewed economic and trade cooperation in numerous areas, including energy, agriculture, textile and garment, footwear, science and technology, transportation, culture, tourism, communications, and environment and natural resources.

They also agreed on multiple plans to be implemented in the coming time and discussed barriers to the implementation of the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to lift the economic ties between Vietnam and Italy to a new height.

Speaking at the event, Minister An highlighted the growing friendship and long-standing partnership between the two countries, saying Vietnam appreciates the attention the Southeast Asian nation has received from Italy through its development cooperation policies.

Undersecretary Stefano, for his part, highly spoke of Vietnam’s economic development, with high growth of GDP, foreign trade and foreign investment despite the severe impacts of COVID-19.

They agreed to hold the next meeting of the joint commission in Italy in 2023 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.