PANO – Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son has granted an interview to the press on the State President Tran Dai Quang’s official visit to Italy from November 21 to 24.

Below is the interview:

Reporter: Mr. Deputy Minister, could you please elaborate on the significance and remarkable results of President Tran Dai Quang’s state-level visit to Italy?

Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son: The state-level visit of President Tran Dai Quang to Italy from November 21 to 24 took place when the Vietnam-Italy cooperation has been favorably developing. It is also an important event to further promote the implementation of the foreign policy adopted by the 12th National Party Congress to further consolidate and strengthen ties with major and key partners, including the European Union, of which Italy is an active member. The visit’s successes have shown the two countries’ political determination to develop the bilateral strategic partnership in an in-depth, substantive, and effective manner.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella (L) and President Tran Dai Quang (R). Soure: VNA

During the visit, President Tran Dai Quang and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam were warmly welcomed by Italian leaders and given the highest level of reception. Talks and meetings with State and local officials as well as representatives of Italian left-wing parties took place in an atmosphere of friendship, openness, and mutual trust. A number of remarkable results of the visit are as follows:

Firstly, Vietnam and Italy agreed to maintain the exchange of high-level visits and existing cooperation mechanisms between ministries and sectors of the two countries, such as the deputy foreign ministerial-level and deputy defense ministerial-level dialogues; to actively implement the action plan of the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership for the 2017-2018 period as well as cooperation programs signed on this occasion; and to foster effective cooperation between the parties, congresses and localities of the two countries. Both sides acknowledged the position and role of each country in each region, and confirmed to continue supporting each other at multilateral mechanisms and forums, such as the UN, ASEM, and ASEAN-EU. Especially, Italy vows to support Vietnam in its relations with the EU to speed up the signing of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the EU (EVFTA).

Secondly, President Tran Dai Quang and leaders of Italy discussed issues relating to economic cooperation between the two countries in depth. As for development cooperation, apart from orientations for vocational training, environmental protection and water management, flood warning, the two sides agreed to give priority to climate change adaptation projects. The two countries have set targets to bring the trade turnover to USD 6 billion in 2017-2018 from USD 4.3 billion at present, and to further promote investment cooperation in the areas of which Italy has strength and Vietnam is in need, such as mechanical engineering, textiles, footwear, wood processing, energy, and food processing.

The Vietnam-Italy business forum, joined by nearly 300 representatives from Italian businesses, showed the growing interest of the Italian business community in the market of Vietnam. The memorandum of understanding signed by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the General Confederation of Italian Industry (Confindustria - Italian employers’ federation) and business deals between businesses of the two countries were signed at the event.

Thirdly, as science-technology is considered one of the highlights in the Vietnam-Italy bilateral relations, the two sides agreed to promote positive results and coordinate to implement the science and technology cooperation program for the 2017-2019 phase and cooperation agreement between the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and the Italian National Research Center, considering it a priority for future cooperation.

Fourthly, the two countries agreed to further promote security-defense cooperation through the sharing of information in UN peacekeeping operations, fight against crimes, air defense and air force training, and more.

Fifthly, the time-honored traditional Vietnam-Italy friendly relations have been continuously fostered by generations of the two countries over the past decades. The talks between President Tran Dai Quang and Italian left-wing parties took place in an atmosphere of friendship, contributing to strengthening the relationship between the two peoples.

Sixthly, the community of overseas Vietnamese (approximately 4,000 people) in Italy, though not big in number, always seeks to preserve the national cultural identity and turns their hearts toward the Fatherland. The meeting hosted by the President prior to the official activities of the delegation with the Italian Government, which showed the attention of the Vietnam’s Party and State toward the Vietnamese community in Italy, made  overseas Vietnamese in Italy delighted and moved.

Reporter: Could you tell us more about the results of the meeting between President Tran Dai Quang and Pope Francis and Prime Minister Parolin during his visit to Vatican?

Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son: The President’s visit to the Holy See of Vatican and talks with Pope Francis and Vatican Prime Minister Parolin were of great significance.

President Tran Dai Quang expressed delight at recent positive development in the Vietnam-Vatican relations. These included the high-level meetings, the meetings of the Joint working group mechanism and Non-resident special envoy to Vietnam. Pope Francis and Prime Minister Parolin warmly welcomed President Tran Dai Quang to Vatican City, considering it a good opportunity for both sides to enhance mutual understanding so as to further promote the relations between Vietnam and the Holy See of Vatican. Pope Francis and Prime Minister Parolin spoke highly of the socio-economic achievements of Vietnam and Vietnam’s constantly-improving policies on freedom of belief and religion and expressed their satisfaction with the Catholic life in Vietnam. The two sides agreed that the Catholic Church in Vietnam needs to better implement the motto of “Leading good life in the heart of the nation,” “good Catholics are good citizens,” and “A Vietnamese Catholic has to be a patriot.” They hope that the Catholic Church in Vietnam would contribute actively to the national construction and development cause while strictly observing law.

Translated by Huu Duong