Mr. Romeo Orlandi, Vice President of the Italy-ASEAN Association and President of the think tank Osservatorio Asia, coordinated the closing session.
Attendees included Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Nguyen Loc Ha; Ms. Alessandra Tognonato, Consul General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City; and Mr. Lorenzo Tavazzi, a member of the Board of Directors of the European House–Ambrosetti and the co-founder and co-organizer of the forum.
Speaking at the closing session, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Nguyen Loc Ha, emphasized that through open, in-depth, and strategically oriented dialogues, reflecting a spirit of connection, creativity, and shared vision, today’s discussions addressed the era’s most pressing topics, from macroeconomic and geopolitical prospects to green transition, sustainable infrastructure development, future technologies, innovation, and practical economic cooperation tools.
These discussions not only demonstrate the depth of the ASEAN–Italy relationship but also reflect the shared determination and aspirations of nations, organizations, and businesses to build a stable, green, and intelligent global economy.
Ho Chi Minh City is proud to host the High-Level Dialogue on ASEAN–Italy Economic Relations for the first time. The city continues to prioritize foreign relations and international integration as key drivers for sustainable growth, expanding development opportunities, and enhancing global competitiveness. Through this forum, Ho Chi Minh City aims to engage more deeply, play a more active and proactive role in regional and international cooperation mechanisms, and contribute increasingly tangible outcomes to economic connectivity and shared development.
The forum went beyond formal presentations, emerging as a truly open dialogue space where policymakers, scholars, investors, and businesses shared visions, exchanged initiatives, and collaboratively developed actionable cooperation ideas.
The discussion sessions demonstrated a convergence of strategic thinking and practical spirit, combining leadership perspectives with business initiatives and merging Italy’s experience with ASEAN’s potential to collectively shape the future of economic, technological, and innovation-driven cooperation between ASEAN and Italy.
During the discussions at the closing session, speakers focused on ASEAN’s deepening integration, driven by initiatives such as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which are opening new avenues for cooperation in infrastructure, digital economy, green energy, and advanced manufacturing.
Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), alongside its industrial innovation strategies, provides complementary strengths that enable Italian businesses to invest in high-growth sectors and jointly develop sustainable, future-oriented solutions with ASEAN partners.
