Vietnam and Italy: Seventh Deputy-Ministerial Political Consultation Held in Rome as Trade Hit Record $7.3 Billion in 2025
Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and Maria Tripodi, Undersecretary of State at Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, co-chaired the seventh deputy-ministerial political consultation between Vietnam and Italy in Rome on November 2. The two sides briefed each other on their socio-economic developments, reviewed bilateral cooperation in recent years and discussed orientations for further ties across key areas.
Both officials welcomed increased exchanges of delegations at various levels since the previous consultation, including the successful official visit to Italy by National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man in April 2026, and the effective use of bilateral mechanisms to deepen the Vietnam-Italy Strategic Partnership. Tripodi said Vietnam is one of Italy's important partners and its largest trading partner in ASEAN. Hang said bilateral trade reached a record $7.3 billion in 2025, surpassing the $7 billion target set in 2023, and called for effective implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to sustain the momentum.
The officials agreed to implement the Vietnam-Italy action plan for 2025-2026 with a vision to 2027, advancing cooperation in defence, security, science, technology and innovation, and welcomed the visit by an Italian naval vessel to Vietnam in September 2026. During the trip, Hang also met Mihaita Blaj, Undersecretary of the Holy See's Section for Relations with States and International Organisations, to discuss measures to strengthen cooperation.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：意大利外交部大楼（罗马），the U.S. Department of State 摄，Wikimedia Commons，公共领域 / Photo: The Italian Foreign Ministry building in Rome, by the U.S. Department of State, Wikimedia Commons, public domain
