Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere of the Italian Navy docked at Nha Rong - Khanh Hoi International Port on September 16, beginning a five-day goodwill visit to Ho Chi Minh City.
Colonel Tran Chi Tam, Deputy Chief of Staff of Naval Region 2 Command, representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the Vietnam Coast Guard’s Region 3 Command and the Defence Ministry’s Department of External Relations, and Alessandra Tognonato, Consul General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City, attended the welcoming ceremony.
The visit reflects goodwill and contributes to strengthening Vietnam-Italy friendship and bilateral defence cooperation, while maintaining exchanges and contacts between the two navies.
During the visit, officers and sailors of the ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere will pay courtesy calls on the leaders of the city People’s Committee and the Naval Region 2 Command, participate in sports and cultural exchanges with Vietnamese naval personnel, and visit cultural sites and historical relics in the city.
As part of the visit, a seminar themed “Safe Seas, Sustainable Supply Chains: Promoting Italy-Vietnam Maritime Cooperation” will be held aboard the ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere. The ship will also open its doors to local residents for visits.
The ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere, pennant number P434, is a multi-purpose offshore patrol vessel of the Italian Navy. It is 143 metres long and 16.5 metres wide, with a draft of about 10.5 metres and a displacement of approximately 6,400 tonnes. The vessel has a top speed of 32 knots and an operational range of up to about 5,000 nautical miles.
The visit to Ho Chi Minh City is part of the Italian Navy’s deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. Before arriving in Vietnam, the ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere visited Japan and conducted joint training exercises with international naval forces./.
