HCM City, Italy’s Turin city step up collaboration

Rome (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City wants to promote cooperative ties with Italy’s Turin city across the prioritised fields of economy, culture, education and tourism, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan has said.

At a working session with Vice Mayor of the City of Turin Michela Favaro as part of his trip to the European country from October 26-27, Hoan introduced the Vietnamese southern hub’s potential, strengths, and priority for development both in mid and long terms.

Mutual understanding between the two nations and two cities has been enhanced over time, he affirmed, elaborating that exchanges between the two sides have been promoted through the channels of tourism, education and business community.

Besides, he said the Honorary Consul of Vietnam and the Italy-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce in Turin have served as a bridge to boost the bilateral relations between Vietnam and Italy, and recommended Turin leaders continue joining hands with HCM City to carry out specific cooperative activities in the time ahead.

Favaro, for her part, expressed her delight at the fruitful development of the twinned relations between the two cities over the past time, and agreed that both sides need to bolster cooperation to capitalise on the potential of the relations.

Turin hoped to strengthen collaboration with HCM City in heritage preservation, culture and tourism, she said, affirming that the city stands ready to work with the Honorary Consul of Vietnam to concretise cooperative activities.

In a working session with Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Torin Sandra Scagliotti, Hoan spoke highly of her contributions to the Vietnam – Italy relations in the past time, and welcomed her study and issuance of publications about Vietnam, helping Italian and European friends get a deeper insight into Vietnam’s tradition, culture, history and people.

Scagliotti said that she fell in love with Vietnam when she was a student engaging in the movement against the US imperialists' war in Vietnam in the early 1970s, adding that President Ho Chi Minh was a shining example for patriotism and aspirations for national independence, freedom and peace.

Scagliotti affirmed that she will do her utmost to contribute to the Vietnam – Italy cooperative relations.  

In a meeting with the Vietnamese Embassy, Hoan briefed Ambassador Duong Hai Hung of the outcomes of his working sessions with the Italian sides, and expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Embassy will continue support to strengthen bonds between HCM City and Turin as well as other Italian localities.

Hung hailed HCM City’s strengths and highlighted Italian businesses’ interests when landing investment overseas.

He pledged support for HCM City and Turin to carry out specific cooperative activities, thus promoting the multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and Italy./.