An art and cultural exchange was organised in Hanoi on June 13 to celebrate the 68th National Day of Italia (June 2, 1946-2014).

Themed “Carnevale Di Venezia” (the Carnival of Venice), the event featured arrangement art works, videos and photos by members of the Vietnam-Italian Friendship Association (VIFA) and artist Nguyen Thuy Trang who introduced Italian traditional masks made of Vietnamese materials.

Addressing the opening ceremony, VIFA President Nguyen Van Nam noted that last year, Vietnam and Italy jointly held many politic, economic and cultural activities to celebrate the 40 th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The two sides also affirmed their determination to beef up their strategic partnership and lift two-way trade to 5 billion USD in the near future, nearly doubling the current figure, he said.

Nam also thanked Italian people in various localities as well as Italian organisations for raising their voice for justice and supporting Vietnam ’s stance in the protest against China ’s illegal placement of its oil rig in Vietnam ’s waters that threatened peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the region.

Jointly organised by the VIFA and the Dante Alighieri Italian Language and Culture of Hanoi, the event was also a great chance for the people of both countries to get better understanding of each other’s culture.-VNA