Italian firms eye Vietnam’s infrastructure

Cecilia Piccioni, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam, told VIR that in line with their international vocation, “Italian top-tier companies have been closely monitoring Vietnam’s infrastructure projects in pipeline, focusing their interest on the urban metro rail system.”

Italian infrastructure firm Ghella, together with the Republic of Korea partner Hyundai, was awarded contract package 3 for Hanoi Metro Line 3 (Nhon-Hanoi station section) to build a tunnel and underground stations. Another Italian infrastructure builder, Rizzani de Eccher, is already involved in the work on Line 1 of the urban metro in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ghella and Rizzani de Eccher are among many Italian firms making moves towards a heightened role in Vietnamese infrastructure development. Together with Astaldi, CMC Ravenna, and CNH-Iveco, they joined a recent luncheon on bilateral co-operation, on the occasion of the visit to Vietnam by Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of the Italian Republic, Graziano Delrio.

They want to get updated overview of infrastructure developments and opportunities in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding southern provinces.

“Their participation is further confirmation of their increased interest towards Vietnam,” the ambassador said.

Italy has substantial experience in the implementation of public-private partnership projects, especially in the fields of expressways and ports, which were among the topics discussed in Minister Delrio’s bilateral meetings in Vietnam.

According to Piccioni, in the framework of this new chapter of bilateral relations between the two countries strongly supported also by the opening of the Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City in 2014, the infrastructure and transport sector features a tremendous amount of untapped potential, to be further nurtured by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.

“The future implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed in 2015 by the two state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato and Vietnam Railway Corporation will importantly fuel the development of the high-speed rail system in Vietnam,” Piccioni added.

In addition, the forthcoming visit to Italy of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang will be another important step in strengthening the two countries’ ties in the infrastructure sector, she noted.