The Italian Government hopes to promote commercial activities in Vietnam, especially in the field of manufacturing and processing agricultural products, turning Vietnam into a strategic entrance for trading and investment of Italy in Southeast Asia, said Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Antonio Alessandro.

Italian and Vietnamese companies exchange information at the B2B meeting
during the event “Machinery Made in Italy”, held in Hanoi on October 1-2. 
- VNS Photo Linh Anh 

He made the statement during the event “Machinery Made in Italy”, held in Hanoi on October 1-2 by the Italian Chamber of Commerce (ICHAM) in Vietnam and the system of Italian Chambers of Commerce in 11 Asian countries.

ICHAM is holding the event with the aim of supporting Vietnam’s agricultural sector. At the event, a B2B meeting was organised to connect Italian companies operating the field of food machinery and importers and distributors of agricultural products from the Asian countries of India, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

ICHAM and the system of 11 Italian Chambers of Commerce in Asia hope this event would offer business opportunities for Italian food machinery companies and their customers in Asia.

The strategic partnership between Vietnam and Italy has witnessed remarkable development in many fields, especially in economic co-operation, said Alessandro.

Machinery has accounted for the biggest export value from Italy to Vietnam. Italy is one of the world’s leading countries in exporting technology, especially machinery production lines, because it has invested in thorough research on production technology to provide the best technological solutions for customers and minimising production costs.

Ambassador Alessandro told Vietnam News that the Italian Government attached great importance to Vietnam's market, adding that the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) would open many opportunities for businesses of the two countries, including opportunities for small and medium enterprises of Italy.

In the years to come, many Italian businesses would head to Vietnam to open investment facilities, provide equipment and technological lines for Vietnamese enterprises in many localities in the country, he said.

In 2018, the export of agricultural products of Vietnam hit a record of US$40.02 billion. This was also the year with the highest growth rate in the past seven years and this attracted many big foreign companies to invest in agriculture in Vietnam.