The festival will be jointly organised by the province of Rome, Air France, Cofthecs Service and UBS Financial Services Inc.

During the month, an exhibition titled "Dragon and Butterfly", slated for June 16, will display nearly 100 Vietnamese modern art works, including oil paintings, lacquer paintings and Vietnamese people's costumes.

Other events include an exhibition displaying photos of Vietnam’s land and people taken by the Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Alfredo Matacotta Cordella, and a fashion show by designer Minh Hanh featuring Vietnam's traditional long dresses.

The organisers also plan to introduce the people of Rome to Vietnamese cuisine and will screen the film "Mui du du xanh" (The Scent of Green Papaya).

Speaking at the press conference in Rome on May 23, president of the province of Rome Enrico Gasbarra said that Vietnam is becoming much more developed, and is now an attractive destination for Italian people.

The Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Van Nam expressed his thanks for the Italian people's friendship towards Vietnam over the past years. He said that Vietnam is trying hard to build a rich and civilised country and is continuing to develop regional and international co-operation.