Opportunities for Vietnam-Italy cooperation
(VOV) - Vietnam and Italy expect to sign a joint statement on a strategic partnership during an upcoming visit to Italy by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
They will also sign a number of cooperation agreements ranging from politics, diplomacy, security and national defence to economics, trade, culture, and education, ambassador to Italy Nguyen Hoang Long told Vietnam News Agency.
The visit will mark the start of the Vietnam Week in Italy from January 16-23 which includes a painting exhibition, a Vietnam-Italy economic cooperation forum, and art performances celebrating 40 years of diplomatic ties.
The Vietnamese Embassy will organize the Vietnam Year in Italy, with a host of political, cultural, and educational activities to take place in major cities of Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan, Turin, Venice, and Napoli.
Long noted that Italy is one of Vietnam’s leading trade partners in the European Union. Despite the global economic slowdown, two-way trade has increased considerably in recent times, rising by 38 percent in 2011 and 10 percent in 2012, and hitting US$2.53 billion and US$2.8 billion respectively.
Italian investment in Vietnam has also climbed to nearly US$200 million, with many of its big companies operating efficiently in the country. Among them are Piaggio scooter manufacturer, Ariston water boiler manufacturer, and Datalogics producer of bar code readers.
Major banking and financial companies have entered Vietnam, including San Paolo Intesa and Unicredit banks, and Assicurazioni Generali insurer, that provide financial assistance to Italian companies operating in the Southeast Asian nation.
The Italy National Oil Corporation (ENI) began exploring oil and gas in the East Sea in 2012, marking an important step in the two countries’ economic cooperation.
According to the diplomat, Italy strongly supports economic ties between Vietnam and the European Union. It is one of few EU member states that have backed Vietnam’s market economy status.
Over the years Italy has boosted cultural cooperation with Vietnam, especially in cultural heritage preservation and human resource training. The two countries plan to expand bilateral cooperation in other areas including sports and tourism.
Many Italian localities have established twin sisterhood or signed cooperation agreements with their Vietnamese counterparts, including those between Hanoi vs Rome, HCM City vs Milan, Haiphong vs Genoa, and Hue vs Venice.
Vietnam will intensify cooperation between its localities and Italy in an effort to attract more investment from small and medium-sized businesses.
Approximately 5,000 Vietnamese nationals are residing across Italy, helping bridge economic and trade ties between the two countries.
Ambassador Long expressed his belief that Trong’s visit will open up a new chapter in Vietnam-Italy cooperation in the near future.