Rome and Hanoi celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations as a rotation in the Embassy is prepared
March 23, 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Vietnam. As announced by the Italian Embassy, a reception was held in Hanoi at the Residence, attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and representatives of Vietnamese authorities and the Italian and international community. In Ho Chi Minh City, on the other hand, a ceremony organized by the municipal authorities was held at the Opera House and attended by People's Committee Chairman Phan Van Mai. But the program of events is much broader and spans both Italy and Vietnam. "It is also the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership that Italy entered into with Vietnam in 2013 and thanks to which relations between our two countries have expanded to the areas of trade, investment but also culture, tourism and science," Ambassador Antonio Alessandro stressed while speaking on "Casa Italia" on Rai. Alessandro pointed out that the business volume between the two countries reached 6.2 billion euros in 2022 and that today the leading sectors are obviously those related to technology and creative industries. Italy has about 150 companies active in Vietnam. Among the most interesting initiatives, the following were mentioned: the Design Day, this year dedicated to urban lighting, and an event dedicated to the manufacturing industry; for the performing arts, on the other hand, there is the annual Film Festival while scheduled for classical music is the Cavalleria Rusticana to be staged at the Hanoi Opera House. Vietnam is now a different country from the images that have come down to us in books," Alexander explained, recalling that Vietnam has gone from being one of the poorest countries in the world, as it was in the 1970s, to a middle-income country that aspires to be high-income. "Today it is a vibrant country: it has 100 million people, young and open to the rest of the world," the Ambassador added, noting how the country in question is at the center of an area, Southeast Asia, which is also a place of socio-economic expansion. Last week, among other things, the Council of Ministers appointed a new Ambassador to take Alexander's place at the end of his term. He is Marco della Seta, former Ambassador to Seoul.
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