Vietnamese PM Chinh Advances Agricultural Ties with Italy
Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed Italian Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry Francesco Lollobrigida to Hanoi on March 1, emphasizing the need for enhanced bilateral cooperation, particularly in the agricultural sector.
PM Chính reiterated Viet Nam’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with Italy and anticipated that Minister Lollobrigida’s visit would further solidify political, economic, and trade relations between the two nations, with a specific focus on agriculture.
During the reception, PM Chinh celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry. He urged both parties to translate the MoU into concrete actions, fostering new milestones in agricultural cooperation and promoting a balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship.
Emphasizing the significance of collaboration in deep processing of agricultural products, technology transfer, innovation, digital transformation, green economy, and circular economy in agriculture, PM Chinh underscored the importance of connecting businesses to develop the agricultural economy.
Viet Nam expressed readiness to welcome a greater presence of Italian farm produce to cater to local consumers. PM Chính also highlighted Viet Nam’s groundbreaking 1-million-ha low-emission, high-quality rice program in the Mekong Delta, contributing to global climate change adaptation. He proposed exploring regional agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
Addressing global and regional concerns, PM Chinh proposed continued collaboration to tackle challenges such as climate change, food security, and water security. He also urged Italy to expedite the removal of the European Union’s yellow card warning on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Viet Nam and the approval of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).
PM Chinh expressed Viet Nam’s willingness to serve as a bridge for developing partnerships between Italy and ASEAN, as well as promoting relations between Italy and African countries through a tripartite cooperation model in ensuring food security.
In response, Minister Lollobrigida praised Viet Nam’s significant potential and strengths in agriculture. Italy expressed readiness to share experience, technology, machinery, crop varieties, and livestock achievements with Viet Nam to develop sustainable agriculture with lower emissions for premium markets.
Italy aspires to become Viet Nam’s leading agricultural partner in the EU, actively advocating for the removal of the yellow card warning on Vietnamese seafood. The two countries, celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership in 2023, saw bilateral trade surpassing 6 billion USD in the same year, making Viet Nam Italy’s biggest trade partner in ASEAN.
