ASEAN-Italy Enhance Partnerships

The ASEAN-Italy Development Partnership Committee (AI-DPC) held its second meeting on June 10th 2022. During the meeting, the ASEAN Secretariat covered the ASEAN-Italy Practical Areas of Cooperation (PCA) for 2022-2026, which outlines priority areas of cooperation between the two sides.

The PCA consists of a broad range of cooperation under the three pillars of the ASEAN Community and is designed to implement ASEAN-Italy's shared commitments for a stronger, deeper, and more beneficial cooperation. This meeting aims to reinforce cooperation with an emphasis on practical areas in which ASEAN and Italy have expertise and mutual interests.

ASEAN and Italy have made a number of concerted efforts to institutionalize and formalize the developmental partnership since Italy was assigned the status of Development Partner of ASEAN in September 2020.

In the process, tangible cooperative projects are identified and developed in multiple sectors, such as cultural heritage, sustainable development, cybersecurity, mechanization of agriculture, sustainable coastal and maritime development, environmental protection, geothermal, recycle fishing gear, agricultural mechanization, and space technology.

Other potential areas for cooperation discussed by the group include peace and security, digital transformation, renewable energy, international travel, public health emergencies, and telecommunications.

Mr. Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community, co-led the meeting with Mr. Benedetto Latteri, Ambassador of the Italian Republic to ASEAN.

The meeting was also attended by members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN, as well as the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Manlio Di Stefano.