The sports exchange was one of the highlights in the four-day visit of the Italian crew to Ho Chi Minh City.

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Leaders of Brigade 125 welcoming vessel ITS Francesco Morosini’s crew-members

The friendly football match between troops of Brigade 125 and the sailors of the Italian vessel took place in an atmosphere of joy, excitement, and friendship, leaving good impressions on the foreign guests.

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The two delegations in a joint photo

After the match, Captain Saverlo Carrozzo, chief engineer of the ITS Francesco Morosini, thanked the hosts for their attentive and enthusiastic welcome. He said that through the activity, the delegation learned more about the cultural spirit in military sports of Vietnam and hoped to have the opportunity to meet again and have exchange with the Vietnamese peers in the near future.

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The two sides in a football match

Speaking at the program, Senior Captain Le Nam Son, Second-in-Command of Brigade 125 of the Naval Region 2 Command, emphasized that the friendly sports match was an opportunity for Vietnamese and Italian naval officers to boost their mutual understanding, thus strengthening the friendship between the two navies and militaries.

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Brigade 125 welcoming vessel ITS Francesco Morosini’s crew-members to the unit and have a sports exchange with the unit’s troops

Earlier on May 9, the ITS Francesco Morosini patrol vessel with 132 officers and sailors on board, commanded by Commander Giovanni Monno, docked at Ho Chi Minh City port, starting a four-day visit to the city.

This visit aims to contribute to strengthening the friendship between Vietnam and Italy in general and the naval and defense cooperation between the two countries in particular. It is also one of the outstanding activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic relations in 2023.

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Delegates posing for a joint photo at the welcoming ceremony

Within the framework of the visit, the ITS Francesco Morosini’s crew-members will pay courtesy calls on leaders of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and the Military Region 7 Command. The delegation will also pay a working visit to Naval Region 2 Command and visit some historical and cultural relics in the Southern city. 

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Vessel ITS Morosini arriving at Ho Chi Minh City port

The ITS Francesco Morosini’s crew-members and officers of the Naval Region 2 Command will talk about PASSEX joint exercise and sports exchange. The Italian naval troops will participate in cultural exchange activities, including a photo exhibition on the political, diplomatic, economic, scientific, and cultural relations between the two countries and workshop on "Yachts and marinas: Italy's experience for new fields in Vietnam," among others.

The ITS Francesco Morosini is a multi-purpose offshore patrol vessel of the Italian Navy. The vessel, which was designed and equipped with versatile dual-use features to perform such military missions as patrol, logistics, combat at sea and civil defense ones, was put into service in 2022. The ITS Francesco Morosini, which is 143m in length and 16.5m in width, is equipped with many modern equipment and weapons.

Translated by Tran Hoai