The mission of the Deputy Administrative Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Giuseppe Cerasoli, to Vietnam took place from 9 to 15 July, following the reopening of the AICS Headquarters in Hanoi, from 1 April 2022 as a regional hub for the Extreme East and the closure of the Yangon Office from 30 June.
During the visit, the Deputy Director, accompanied by the Italian Ambassador, Antonio Alessandro and the new owner of the Hanoi Office, Tiziana Fusco, met the main Vietnamese interlocutors of the Italian Cooperation, the Ministry of Planning and Investments and the Ministry of Business Foreign countries who have expressed heartfelt appreciation for the interventions carried out over the years and the strong partnership with Italy. Honored to host the Regional Headquarters of the Agency, they also expressed a keen interest in facilitating dialogue with the other ASEAN Member States and invited new opportunities for discussion and exchange for future regional and sub-regional interventions in the Mekong area.
The new Headquarters was also formally presented to the European Union and to Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, with whom potential synergies with this delegation and the Member States were discussed as part of the Team Europe Initiatives.
Visits were carried out in the central regions of Vietnam, in Hue and Quang Nam to monitor the progress and results achieved in the context of two important initiatives in the health sector “Improvement of health services for selected areas of the Central Region of Vietnam and the College University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Hue” and in the WASH (Water and Sanitation) sector “Urban sanitation of Nui Thanh in Quang Nam province”. During the meetings with the respective Project Management Units, partners of the initiatives, some difficulties encountered in carrying out the project activities were also discussed, with a joint commitment to simplifying various administrative and authorization procedures relating to the tender processes.
With a view to reviewing and relaunching the activities of the Headquarters on a regional basis, various solutions have been inspected as a potential new office based in Hanoi and it is hoped that the rental deed will be finalized in the coming weeks.
Particular importance was given to the regional perspective, emphasizing the importance of the strategic partnership with ASEAN and the initiatives recently included in the 2022 programming, approved by the Joint Committee last June, in the sectors of sustainable agriculture; fishing and aquaculture and training in the protection of artistic-cultural heritage.
