JAKARTA, 10 June 2022 – ASEAN and Italy convened the second ASEAN-Italy Development Partnership Committee (AI-DPC) meeting today. Hosted at the ASEAN Secretariat, the meeting adopted the ASEAN-Italy Practical Areas of Cooperation (PCA) for 2022-2026, which sets out priority areas forASEAN-Italy engagement.

The PCA comprises broad spectrum of cooperation covered under the three pillars of the ASEAN Community and is aimed at implementing the shared commitments for an enhanced, deeper, and mutually beneficial ASEAN–Italy Development Partnership.  It is expected to further substantiate the cooperation with a focus on practical areas where ASEAN and Italy have expertise and mutual interests.

The meeting noted that since the conferment of the status of Development Partner of ASEAN on Italy in September 2020, ASEAN and Italy have made a number of concerted efforts to institutionalise and substantiate the developmental partnership, as well as to shape its future direction.

Such efforts include the identification and development of tangible cooperative projects on various sectors, including cultural heritage and sustainable development, cybersecurity, agriculture mechanisation, sustainable coastal and maritime development, environment protection, geothermal, fishing gear recycling, agricultural mechanisation, as well as space and smart technology.  

They also deliberated other potential areas for cooperation, which include peace and security, maritime, digital transformation, renewable energy, tourism, sustainable development, maritime, preservation of biodiversity, public health emergency, public health emergency, as well as connectivity.

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

Members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and Under Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Manlio Di Stefano, also participated in the meeting.