Italy has prioritised developing relations with Vietnam in the Southeast Asian region in particular and Asia in general, Vice President of the Senate Valeria Fedeli has said.
She attended a reception hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Rome on September 21 to celebrate the 70 th anniversary of the National Day.
She congratulated newly-appointed Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Cao Chinh Thien, expressing her hope that the ambassador will contribute to strengthening Vietnam-Italy bilateral ties.
For his part, Ambassador Thien said the relations between the two countries have reached a new height after the establishment of strategic partnership in 2013.
Italy is currently one of Vietnam’s important trade partners in the European Union, standing third in terms of imports and fifth in terms of exports.
In 2014, two-way trade between the two countries reached 4.1 billion USD.
On the occasion, Ambassador Thien also expressed his hope that the Italian government will support the Vietnamese community’s deeper integration in the country.-VNA