Rome (VNA) – Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan has paid a working trip to Italy from June 29 to July 1 to seek stronger partnership with the European country across all fields.

Xuan held talks on June 30 with President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Lorenzo Fontana who praised Vietnam’s recent socio-economic achievements and the growing momentum in bilateral relations. He reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to advancing the Vietnam–Italy strategic partnership and cooperation across all fiels, including parliamentary collaboration.

Xuan affirmed that Vietnam always highly values Italy’s longstanding support, recalling the solidarity shown during Vietnam’s struggle for independence and reunification, as well as the present cause of national development, and more recently, Italy’s COVID-19 vaccine assistance. She affirmed the progress of the strategic partnership and highlighted the need for stronger unity and cooperation amid global uncertainty.

Both sides agreed to increase high-level exchanges and actively implement existing agreements, particularly the 2023 Joint Statement on Enhancing the Strategic Partnership. They emphasised continued implementation of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and boosting business ties.

Discussions also covered cooperation in UN peacekeeping, war legacy issues, cybersecurity, and fighting transnational crime. Italy pledged support for Vietnam in addressing climate change and transitioning to clean energy.

The two nations committed to expanding cultural exchanges, tourism promotion, science and technology collaboration, education and training, and people-to-people diplomacy. They also voiced support for stronger Vietnam–EU ties within EVFTA and EU Indo-Pacific initiatives.

Both sides stressed the importance of inter-parliamentary exchanges, including visits by parliamentary leaders, committee heads, and friendship groups, to share legislative experience and improve oversight and innovation. They pledged coordination in multilateral parliamentary forums.

Fontana supported persuading remaining EU parliaments to ratify the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and urged the European Commission to lift the IUU “yellow card” on Vietnam’s seafood exports. He affirmed Italy’s readiness to honour bilateral commitments and facilitate upcoming high-level visits.

Xuan called on the Italian Parliament to continue supporting the Vietnamese community in Italy and proposed expanding Vietnamese language education at Italian universities. She conveyed National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man's invitation to President Fontana to visit Vietnam. The Italian leader accepted the invitation with pleasure.

Earlier the same day, the Vice State President met with Senator Giulio Terzi, head of the Italian Senate's Committee on European Union Policy. Senator Terzi conveyed greetings from the Senate President and affirmed the importance of Xuan's visit in boosting bilateral ties.

Xuan acknowledged Senator Terzi’s contributions, especially to the establishment of the strategic partnership. She proposed intensifying delegation exchanges and accelerating implementation of bilateral frameworks in diplomacy, defence, economy, and science and technology.

She emphasised continued EVFTA implementation, trade and investment promotion, and mutual support in international forums and frameworks such as the UN, ASEAN–EU, and Vietnam–EU cooperation. She also called for closer coordination in forums like the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP).

Senator Terzi endorsed the proposals, pledging to help expedite EVIPA ratification and advocate for lifting the IUU yellow card. He promoted cooperation in digital transformation, renewable energy, and initiatives aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), COP29, and the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC 3).

He suggested broader cooperation in trade, security, culture, and emerging sectors such as circular economy, AI, semiconductors, and infrastructure.

In the afternoon, Vice President Xuan met with Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. The host praised the growing friendship between Vietnam and Italy, especially with Rome, and noted Italy’s admiration for Vietnam’s development and cultural heritage.

Vice President Xuan expressed pleasure at visiting Rome, a city rich in history and culture, and reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to deeper locality-to-locality cooperation with Italy.

Mayor Gualtieri recalled Rome’s celebration of bilateral anniversaries and proposed signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hanoi to promote cooperation in cultural and heritage protection.

Xuan supported the idea and urged swift signing and implementation of the MoU. She suggested expanding cooperation between Rome and Vietnamese localities in archaeology, heritage conservation, and cultural exchange.

Both sides agreed to strengthen collaboration in trade, culture, education, sports, tourism, transport, urban development, digital transformation, and AI. They also committed to joint action on global issues such as climate change.

Earlier, on June 29, shortly after her arrival, Vice President Xuan met with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy. Ambassador Duong Hai Hung reported on Italy–Vietnam ties and the embassy’s efforts in strengthening bilateral cooperation, noting strong interest from Italian businesses in Vietnam.

Xuan commended the embassy’s work in promoting relations with Italy and the Vatican despite limited resources. She encouraged staff to uphold political awareness, professional standards, and strategic insight, in line with Vietnam’s major ongoing reforms and preparations for the 14th National Party Congress.

She urged the embassy to serve as a bridge between the Vietnamese government and the diaspora, support community needs, and foster connections with the homeland. She also stressed the importance of listening to the overseas Vietnamese and reporting their concerns to national leaders.

At the meeting, she attentively received candid feedback from staff regarding their working and living conditions./.