In 2023, Vietnam and Italy celebrated 50 years of diplomatic ties and 10 years of their strategic partnership. The highlight event in the anniversary year is the State visit made by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong to Italy, following President Mattarella's visit to Vietnam back in 2015. Talking about the significance of these visits for bilateral ties, the Italian Ambassador said President Thuong's visit to Italy has helped to further elevate the co-operative relations between the two countries to new heights.

“First we signed the Joint Declaration, then agreements on multiple spheres such as culture and agricultural development cooperation.

We also held dialogues, such as political dialogue, economic dialogue and defence dialogue. These activities cover most areas of cooperation between the two countries, making this year extremely important,” he stated.

Concerning the bright spot in joint ties, the Italian diplomat said the highlight of the mutual relationship is the co-operation between the people of the two countries. Regarding this, he emphasized the cultural aspect, as well as the activities carried out in the fields of art, performing arts, the Italian language in Vietnam, and the Vietnamese language in Italy.

This co-operation can be seen in terms of student exchanges, as currently Italy has issued more than 500 visas for Vietnamese students to study in Italy.

“The same goes for the economic aspect, this aspect also clearly reveals the relationship between the two countries. When Italian businessmen invest in Vietnam, they bring with them business culture and commitments to sustainable development in both environmental and social terms. In my opinion, this brings positive results in the long run, helping to bring value to the people of the two countries,” he went on to say.

With regard to cultural links which is a special diplomatic activity that helps the people of the two countries to enhance mutual understanding, Ambassador Seta said, the Ambassador's first mission is to represent his country in his daily affairs, while underlining the need to clearly understand the country where he is working.

“I only came here 3 months ago, but I consider it my duty to understand as much as possible about the beautiful country of Vietnam, from its cultural heritage and natural landscapes, to its people, lifestyle, cuisine, everything. In my opinion, understanding the country where you work is extremely important,” he stated.

Sharing impressions about Vietnamese culture and cuisine during his time, the Italian diplomat said, “My impression of Vietnamese culture is very strong. I am very impressed with Vietnam's long-standing cultural heritage. Especially My Son Relics, a world cultural heritage near the central city of Da Nang.

This is also where Italian archaeologists have worked for the past 30 years to restore damage caused by time and war. That left a huge impression on me. In addition, I am also very impressed with Vietnamese cuisine. I must say that I love Vietnamese cuisine. I really like Vietnamese food.”

Talking about his favourite Vietnamese dishes, he said he likes Banh Com (green sticky rice cake) and bun cha (grilled pork and noodles).

“I also really like Bun Cha - a typical dish of Hanoi. And spring rolls are also another favorite dish of mine, along with many other options of Vietnamese cuisine,” he added.

On the occasion of the new year, the Italian Ambassador extended the best wishes to the Vietnamese people of plenty of joy, happiness, and prosperity this year and hopes that Vietnam and Italy will also become more connected through direct flights.

Source: VOV