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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung (middle) and Vice President of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Council Zamboni Silva (second, left) and other delegates pose for a photo. (Photo: VNA) |
The diplomat worked with Vice President of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Council Zamboni Silva, member of the Bologna City Council Anna Lisa Boni, Mayor of Reggio Emilia city Luca Vecchi, and attended many activities to promote economic and cultural cooperation between Vietnam and the region.
At the working sessions with the Italian officials, Hung thanked people of the Emilia-Romagna region and Reggio Emilia city for their solidarity with and support to Vietnam during the past struggle for national independence, freedom and reunification, as well as national reconstruction.
He showed his delight at the development of ties between Vietnam and the Emilia-Romagna region not only in politics but also in economy, with two-way trade accounting for 40% of the total trade turnover between Vietnam and Italy.
Hung expressed his hope that the administration and businesses of the two sides will strengthen cooperation through promotion activities of Vietnam in Emilia-Romagna, while organising visits by officials and businesses of the Italian region to Vietnam and beefing up locality-to-locality partnership.
Leaders of Emilia-Romagna underlined that the solidarity that the administration and people of the region and Vietnam set up in the past is a firm foundation for the two sides to promote specific and practical collaboration in the future, especially amid the dynamic economic development of both sides and the implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the mutual supplementation in the fields of sustainable agriculture, green energy and innovation.
Emilia-Romagna is an important economic locomotive of Italy with strengths in agriculture, automobile manufacturing, education-training, banking, insurance and food production.
In order to bolster cooperation with the region in economy, especially new energy, the Vietnamese Embassy and the Italy-Vietnam Foundation and the Asia Institute under the University of Bologna jointly held a roundtable on the sustainable development of Vietnam and opportunities for Emilia-Romagna in the field of renewable energy and hydrogen.
Addressing the event, Hung highlighted Vietnam’s energy transition policy towards green and sustainable economy and climate change adaptation, especially the commitment that Vietnam made at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). He stressed the country’s demand for cooperation with international partners in the work, including Italy in general and Emilia-Romagna in particular.
Representatives from leading energy firms of the region introduced models and solutions in renewable energy, including hydrogen, and sought cooperation possibilities with Vietnam in the field.
On the occasion, Hung also had a working session with President of the Chamber of Commerce of Reggio Emilia city, as well as representatives from economic agencies and business associations of the city, and University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE).
The diplomat witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Italy-Vietnam Foundation and the Asia Institute under the University of Bologna on research cooperation.
He also visited the Institute of Musical Studies of Reggio Emilia and Castelnovo ne' Monti, and worked with leaders of Rotary Club in Bologna and Reggio Emilia./.