Vietnam prioritising stepping up relations with Italy: Ambassador

Newly-appointed Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung (left) poses for a photo with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. (Photo: VNA)

Rome (VNA) - Newly-appointed Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Hai Hung presented his letter of credentials to Italian President Sergio Mattarella in a May 12 ceremony, during which both sides showed interest in strengthening the bilateral ties.

The diplomat welcomed the recent development of the ASEAN-Italy relations and the latter’s contributions to the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.

He emphasised that Vietnam gives priority to further stepping up the strategic partnership with Italy, and thanked the European nation for donating more than 2.8 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam.

Hung conveyed President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s invitation to President Mattarella to visit Vietnam on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and the 10th year of the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership, which was accepted with pleasure.

President Mattarella, for his part, recalled his 2015 visit to Vietnam and thanked the country for supplying face masks to Italy during the time of the COVID-19.

Congratulating Vietnam on its success in socio-economic development and international integration, he said Italy wants to further expand the strategic partnership with Vietnam - Italy’s leading partner in ASEAN.

The Italian leader expected the bilateral relations will reach a new height with more comprehensive and practical cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in new areas, such as climate change, digital economy and renewable energy./.

VNA