The Italian Government’s website released pictures and videos of a press briefing given by Mr Dung and his host PM Romano Prodi during which the two leaders underscored the need to promote multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the fields of economics, trade and investment.

The RAI Television ran a footage of the Vietnamese delegation’s activities while the Italian journalistic agency (AGI) focused on the content of the press briefing.

Italy’s private news agency - AKI-Adnknonos – and the Reuters Bureau in Rome quoted the two PMs as saying that two-way trade between Vietnam and Italy reached US$1.2 billion in 2006, a year-on-year increase of 30 percent. However, the figure remained modest compared to the two countries’ potential, they said.

The Holy See Press Office gave a press release on the meeting between PM Dung, Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican PM Tarcisio Bertone, saying that the Vatican considered the visit an important step towards normalising bilateral ties.