President Vo Van Thuong highlighted the importance of his visit as the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership, affirming that Vietnam always attaches importance to the strategic partnership with Italy, including the close cooperation between their legislative bodies.
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Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong (L) and President of the Italian Senate Ignazio La Russa at their meeting in Rome on July 26. |
Welcoming his guest, La Russa said the visit is the first at the head of state level between the two countries in seven years, forming an important milestone in the bilateral ties.
He applauded the strong progress in their multifaceted cooperation, underlined the friendship and solidarity between the two nations' peoples, and stated that Vietnam is the most important partner of Italy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Senate President also voiced his support for Vietnam to act as a bridge linking the Italian Parliament and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).
The two leaders agreed that their countries will coordinate closely and support each other at inter-parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) so as to contribute to regional and global peace, cooperation, and development.
President Vo Van Thuong called on both sides to increase all-level delegation exchanges between the states, governments, and parliaments; maintain close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums like the United Nations and the ASEAN - E.U. framework to jointly respond to regional and global issues; and step up partnerships in education - training, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
La Russa agreed on his guest’s proposal to create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to successfully integrate into the social and economic life of Italy and continue helping strengthen the bilateral friendship.
He also showed support for the two countries’ economic ties, noting that more than 100 Italian businesses are operating fruitfully in Vietnam.
On this occasion, President Vo Van Thuong conveyed National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s invitation to visit Vietnam to Senate President La Russa, who accepted the invitation with pleasure.
Source: VNA