Vice Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan madethe remarks at a ceremony on June 2 commemorating the 76th RepublicDay - National Day of Italy held by the Italian General Consulate in HCM City.
Hoan highlighted that HCM City was among the leading localitiesin Vietnam in promoting cooperation with Italy. The city is currently home to 54projects of Italian investors with total capital of 74 million USD. Two-waytrade between HCM City and Italy was valued at 619 million USD in 2021.
According to the official, before the pandemic broke out, thetwo sides used to exchange delegations, which opened up cooperativeopportunities in many fields. He saidVietnamese people in general and people in HCM City in particular are keen onthe culture, architecture, fine arts, sports and cuisine of Italy.
The Italian Consul General in HCM City, Enrico Padula, said along with a goodpolitical relationship, bilateral ties in other fields such as trade,technology, cuisine and fashion have helped increase mutual understanding andfriendship between the two peoples.
He appreciated the role of HCM City in bolstering the Italy-Vietnam relations,and pledged to work to connect the Italian community in central and southernVietnam with the Vietnamese authorities and potential Vietnamese partners.
Padula said he hopes the two countries will coordinate to hold various activitiesto promote the Italian culture and boost bilateral partnership in trade,education, tourism and culture in 2023 when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relationship./.
VNA