During the phone talk on May 19, the Italian official spoke highly of Vietnam’s success in the combat against the pandemic. He thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for providing valuable support for Italy in those hard times, emphasizing that it is an act of friendship and solidarity between the two countries.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh

For his part, Minh affirmed that Vietnam will continue partnering with Italy and the international community in the fight against the pandemic.

He thanked Italy for creating favorable conditions for the repatriation of Vietnamese citizens during the pandemic, and wished that the two Governments would continue collaborating to support their citizens in the coming time.

Both officials highly valued the importance of the bilateral strategic partnership and reached agreement on enhancing all-level visits when the situation returns to normal.

They also agreed to strengthen consultation and coordination mechanisms to effectively direct the bilateral cooperation in the new period, tap the potential of partnership in fields of demand such as economy, trade, science and technology, and culture and education.

The Vietnamese official suggested Italy continue supporting the Vietnam-European Union (EU) ties, especially tapping the benefits brought about by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement in the time ahead.

The two sides will continue their close collaboration in international issues and strengthen the ties between ASEAN and Italy during 2020 when Vietnam serves as the ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure.

On the occasion, Minh invited Di Maio to pay an official visit to Vietnam and the Italian official accepted the invitation with pleasure.

Translated by Chung Anh