2023 expected to give push to Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership
The Vietnamese Embassy in Italy has hosted a press conference to announce the Vietnam-Italy Year 2023 and the celebration plan for the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties (March 23, 1973) and 10 years of the strategic partnership between the two countries (January 2013-2023).
Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung (L) and Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi (Photo: VNA)
Rome (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy inItaly has hosted a press conference to announce the Vietnam-Italy Year 2023 andthe celebration plan for the 50th anniversary of the bilateraldiplomatic ties (March 23, 1973) and 10 years of the strategic partnershipbetween the two countries (January 2013-2023).
The January 14 press conference saw the attendanceof Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and InternationalCooperation Maria Tripodi, President of the City Council of Rome SvetlanaCelli, among other Italian officials.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy DuongHai Hung stated that the embassy will coordinate with Italian agencies and localitiesto organise celebration activities in Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice,Napoli and other cities throughout 2023.
Such activities are expected to open up cooperationopportunities, deepen the strategic partnership and facilitate collaboration inpolitics, economy, investment, culture-education, science-technology, tourism, innovation,digital economy, green economy and renewable energy, as well aspeople-to-people exchange and cooperation between localities, focusing on theeconomic ties.
For her part, Tripodi affirmed that Italy considersVietnam an important dialogue side and a partner essential for stability andeconomic development in Asia-Pacific.
The bilateral relationship has been developingintensively and extensively, as reflected through the regular exchange ofdelegations at the highest level, with the latest meeting between PrimeMinister Giorgia Meloni and her Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh on thesidelines of the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit in Brussels in December 2022,she said.
At the press conference (Photo: VNA)
Regarding the establishment of the strategicpartnership a decade ago, the official said it has created a framework forbilateral relations, noting that action plans have helped to boost thebilateral cooperation in economy and other spheres like national defence,justice and environment.
According to Tripodi, the Italian Embassy in Hanoiand Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will also organise multipleactivities this year to celebrate the relations, thus promoting the strategicpartnership.
The official said she will visit Vietnam soon tointroduce Italy's bid to host World Expo 2030, and called for the SoutheastAsian nation’s support to Italy in the effort.
Trade between Vietnam and Italy hit a record 6.2billion USD in 2022, up 11% from the previous year. Vietnam is Italy’s biggesttrade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Italyis Vietnam’s fourth largest trade partner in the EU.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam presented morethan 300,000 masks to Italy, while Italy donated 2.8 million doses of vaccinesto Vietnam. /.
Students who are studying Vietnamese from the Faculty of Asian and Northern African Studies under the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice performed Vietnamese folk songs, water puppet shows and recited the Tale of Kieu during the “Vietnam Soul” event on December 21.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung had a working session on December 22 with Secretary of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) Mauro Alboresi, who spoke highly of socio-economic development achievements Vietnam has gained after more than 35 years of renewal under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung (L) and Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi (Photo: VNA) 
At the press conference (Photo: VNA) 
