Co-organized by The European House – Ambrosetti (TEHA), the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, and Becamex Group, the 9th High-Level Dialogue on ASEAN–Italy Economic Relations opened on November 13, 2025, at the Binh Duong Convention & Exhibition Centre, gathering more than 500 delegates from ASEAN countries and Italy.

In his opening remarks, Vietnam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung highlighted ASEAN’s strengths as a dynamic region of over 680 million people and a combined GDP exceeding USD 4 trillion, and emphasized Italy’s role as an official ASEAN Development Partner, signaling deeper cooperation opportunities.

HCMC Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc reiterated the city’s readiness to serve as a strategic bridge linking Italy, Vietnam, and ASEAN, especially in green economy, renewable energy (towards Net Zero 2050), smart infrastructure, sustainable logistics, education, and human-resource development.

Participants agreed on four priorities for future ASEAN–Italy cooperation: a Net Zero roadmap, smart manufacturing (Industry 4.0–5.0), next-generation infrastructure, and digital transformation & innovation.

Italy remains one of Vietnam’s key European partners, with bilateral trade reaching USD 4.3 billion in the first seven months of 2025 and more than USD 624 million invested in 162 projects across Vietnam.

The event marks a significant step toward advancing Italy–ASEAN economic ties and reinforces the role of HCMC as emerging hubs for regional cooperation and sustainable growth.

Learn more: https://www.ambrosetti.eu/en/international-summits/high-level-dialogue-asean-italy-economic-relations/