HCM City (VNA) – The Consulate General ofItaly in Ho Chi Minh City hosted a reception on June 1 to mark the 72nd anniversaryof Italy’s National Day and the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Italydiplomatic ties.
Cecilia Piccioni, Ambassador of Italy to Vietnam and representatives of theItalian community in the city attended the event, among others.
Dante Brandi, Consul General of Italy in HCM City,said the relations between Italy and Vietnam have been consolidated over thepast 45 years and grown strongly in various realms since the countries signedan agreement on the establishment of strategic partnership five years ago.
The official said he is confident that the ConsulateGeneral would become a reliable consulting destination in terms of consularaffairs for the Italian community, the municipal HCM City authority and 22provinces and cities in south Vietnam.
The Consulate General will work harder to step up its tieswith local authorities in the southern region to boost cooperation in sectorswith potential, like infrastructure, water and waste management, smart citydevelopment, industry-agriculture, and cultural exchange, he said.
Representing the municipal administration, Pham DucHai, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Council stated that the signing ofa joint statement on the establishment of strategic partnership in 2013reflected the wish of both Vietnam and Italy to lift their ties to a new heightas well as creating a firmer foundation to intensify their relations.
He said HCM City is one of the leading localities in stepping up cooperationwith Italy and it will increase visit exchanges and expand cooperation with Italianlocalities.
In 2017, HCM City made a two-way trade value of 624million USD with Italy, up 5 percent from 2016.
As of May, 2018, Italy had invested in 34 projects in HCM City with a totalregistered capital of 69 million USD, ranking 25th out of 95countries and territories investing in the city.
HCM City and Italy boast potential for cooperation ingarment and textile, and food and foodstuff processing. -VNA