President Vo Van Thuong and Italian President Sergio Mattarella co-chaired a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to inform about the results of their talks. 

Sergio Mattarella said he will hand over the document of the Italian Parliament ratifying the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to the Vietnamese State leader.

Mattarella said the two sides discussed many important issues and acknowledged achievements in bilateral ties. 

"Vietnam is Italy’s most important partner in ASEAN. Many Italian investors are doing business in Vietnam and the figure is on the rise. I plan to set up an Italian culture center in Vietnam to boost bilateral ties. For the European community, Vietnam plays an important role, serving as a bridge linking the EU and the ASEAN. This expands the relationship between Vietnam and the EU," said President Mattarella.

President Vo Van Thuong briefed on the outcomes of his talks with President Sergio Mattarella and the agreement to expand bilateral cooperation in politics, diplomacy, trade, investment, education, science, technology, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. 

President Thuong said: "I’d like to thank the President for informing us of the Italian Parliament's ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement during the Vietnamese President’s state visit to Italy. It’s a great news and the ratification will benefit businesses and peoples of the two countries, significantly contributing to further promoting bilateral trade and investment cooperation in the coming time."

During the talks, the two leaders shared their views on international issues of mutual concern. Vietnam always wants conflicts in the region and the world to be resolved by peaceful means, through exchange, discussion and respect for the UN Charter and international law, President Thuong said.

The Vietnamese leader said he fully supports and agrees with the Italian President on the establishment of an Italian culture center in Vietnam to further promote culture exchanges between the two countries, and help Italians understand more about Vietnamese culture and vice versa.

The same day, President Thuong met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The two leaders agreed on the measures to strengthen the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership, focusing on national defense, security, education, training, science and technology, and cultural heritage protection.

After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements on legal assistance and cultural cooperation.

Source: VOV

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