Addressing a recent workshop that ended in the northern Italian city of Vicenza on April 3, Roberto Ditri, Vice President of the city’s Industrialists’ Association called Vietnam one of the most dynamic markets in the world with an annual growth rate of over 7 percent.

Despite the negative impact of the global economic crisis, the country still reached a GDP growth rate of 5.3 percent in 2009, he said.

In his opinion, the young market with 56 percent of the population under 30 years old has strong development and a high purchasing power.

Vietnam’s admission to the ASEAN Free Trade Area has helped improve the country’s economic role in the region to become a bridge of industrial production and trade with other Asian countries.

Participants all agreed that Vietnam is an ideal investment destination for Italian businesses, who are ranking 34^th among foreign investors in the Southeast Asian nation.

Representatives of enterprises from Vicenza affirmed their interest in investment in Vietnam’s industrial parks and wish to meet Vietnamese partners to seek business opportunities.

Two-way trade value between Vietnam and Italy exceeded US$1 billion for the first time in 2007, however, the value decreased slightly last year due to the global economic crisis.