Vietnam, Italy seek to expand cooperation in blue economy

The seminar, titled 'Safe Seas, Sustainable Supply Chains: Promoting Italy-Vietnam Maritime Cooperation,' was held aboard the Italian Navy ship ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere, which arrived at Nha Rong Port in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday for a five-day visit.

At the event, Vietnamese and Italian experts emphasized that despite the geographical distance between the two countries, Vietnam and Italy share similarities in maritime geography and face common maritime challenges and opportunities, a reality that provides a basis for deeper maritime cooperation.

Dr. Vu Hai Dang, acting director of the East Sea Institute under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, said there is substantial potential for the two countries to promote the blue economy and proposed several areas for cooperation.

One is to increase Vietnamese seafood exports to Italy, Dang said.

Italy is a major seafood consumer, but its domestic production meets only about one-third of domestic demand, while Vietnam ranks third globally in seafood production with an output of around 10 million metric tons, according to Dang.

Another potential area is the establishment of joint ventures in civilian shipbuilding.

Italy has strengths in cruise ships, ferries and yachts, while Vietnam is experienced in building bulk carriers, container ships and oil tankers. 

Dang underscored that leading shipbuilders from the two countries could cooperate to leverage their respective strengths.

He also proposed opening more direct maritime shipping routes between Vietnam and Italy.

There is currently only one direct route between the two countries, despite both having major ports, Dang said.

Other areas include greater cultural exchanges, sharing experience in ocean governance between the two semi-enclosed seas, and promoting interregional maritime cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU).

Lai Anh Tu, head of the Information and Data Center at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, said cooperation could also focus on sharing maritime information and data, protecting undersea cables and ports, search and rescue operations, combating illegal fishing, and conducting marine scientific research.

Speaking about the East Vietnam Sea, Tu said competition there is shifting from simply determining who is present to determining who controls access and regulates activities at sea.

However, diplomacy still has an important role, he said, noting that ASEAN and China are aiming to complete a Code of Conduct in the East Vietnam Sea in 2026.

Tu said Vietnam's approach to the East Vietnam Sea is based on peaceful and consistent engagement, without seeking to escalate tensions or follow a confrontational bloc-based approach.

Vietnam has consistently sought to resolve disputes through peaceful means, without the use of force, while respecting international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, he said.

Lorenzo Termine, a professor at the International University of Rome and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said Vietnam and Italy share a number of maritime characteristics that could provide a foundation for closer cooperation.

Both are peninsular countries with long coastlines and relatively narrow land areas facing semi-enclosed seas — the Mediterranean and the East Vietnam Sea, respectively, according to Termine.

He outlined four pillars of Italy's maritime model: the coast guard, fisheries, maritime domain awareness and seabed security.

Termine said that with Vietnam and the EU having upgraded their relations, along with recent exchanges such as the fifth Vietnam-Italy Defense Policy Dialogue in Hanoi in July 2025, Vietnam could become one of Italy's close maritime partners in the region.