Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung (centre), Chairman of the Basilicata Confederation of Industry Francesco Somma (second from right), and other participants at the roundtable meeting in Potenza city on March 13 (Photo: VNA)

Rome – A roundtable meeting took place in Potenza city, the capital of Italy’s Basilicata region, on March 13 to introduce Vietnam to local businesses and explore economic cooperation potential.

Opening the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung gave a brief introduction of Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and favourable policies for businesses and investors. He said Basilicata region boasts many important industries such as mechanics, automobile, agricultural processing, and oil and gas exploitation.

Vietnam expects the dynamic policies being implemented will help further tap into the region’s potential; open up new economic cooperation chances for the two sides; create optimal conditions for Basilicata businesses to learn more about Vietnam, especially the country’s aquatic and agricultural products; and invest in or cooperate with Vietnamese partners in mechanical, food processing, furniture, and support industries, he went on.

The ambassador affirmed the readiness to assist the region and local businesses to boost partnerships with Vietnam.

Francesco Somma, Chairman of the Basilicata Confederation of Industry (Confindustria), said his region exported 2.8 billion EUR (3 billion USD) worth of goods in 2022, mainly products of textile - garment, machinery, pharmaceutical, automobiles, and oil and gas industries.

He emphasised the countries’ similar structures of small- and medium-sized enterprises along with Basilicata firms’ international cooperation capacity, calling them the factors for stepping up trade and investment ties between Vietnam and Basilicata.

Talking to Vietnam News Agency, Francesco stressed the importance of deeper understanding of the potential of Vietnam, which has strong growth and political stability. Meanwhile, Basilicata holds investment potential in terms of automobile, agricultural processing, chemical, or transportation industries.

Aside from providing information, Confindustria hopes to promote initiatives for further enhancing trade and investment chances for Basilicata businesses in Vietnam and for Vietnamese businesses in the southern region of Italy, he added.

Antonio Braia, head of the chamber of small industry at Confindustria Basilicata, said local businesses can supply Made-in-Italy products for Vietnam and also attract Vietnamese investment to strong industries of the region such as automobile, farm produce, tourism, and culture.

Cirillo Giovanni, Director of Ciesse Tendaggi – a curtain producing and exporting company, held that businesses in both Italy and Vietnam should increase exchanges and meetings to meet each other’s perse demand, adding that his company is boosting contact with Vietnamese partners to expand export and also planning to import many products of its specialised field.