Vietnam wishes to welcome more Italian investors: President

Hanoi, May 6 (VNA) – Vietnam always backs Italian enterprises to boost connectivity and cooperation with Vietnamese partners and hopes to welcome more Italian investors, said President Tran Dai Quang while receiving Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Cecilia Piccioni in Hanoi on May 5. Speaking of the Italian Parliament’s ratification of the Vietnam-EU Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), the President asked Italy to support Vietnam's candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure and Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao’s candidacy as a member of the International Law Commission (ILC). Vietnam will advocate Italy running for the post as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2017-2018 tenure, he affirmed. The State leader expressed his delight at the positive development of the two countries’ multi-faceted collaboration over the past years, which was reflected through their establishment of the strategic partnership in 2013 on the occasion of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Italy, as well as the visit made by Italian President Sergio Mattarella to Vietnam last November. The bilateral economic and trade ties have seen several effective cooperation models that need to be expanded upon in the time ahead, he added. Both host and guest shared the point of view that cooperation in politics, economics and culture are the three pillars in the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership. The President suggested the two nations intensify high-level delegation exchanges, expand connectivity not only at ministerial level but also at local level, and step up collaboration in defence, security, culture, and education and training. The diplomat confirmed that Italy attaches importance to its relations with Vietnam, especially after the visit to Vietnam by President Sergio Mattarella. She told the host that Vietnam is Italy’s biggest trade partner in ASEAN and Italy now ranks second in importing Vietnamese goods and fourth in exporting products to Vietnam among European countries. She took the occasion to convey President Sergio Mattarella’s invitation to pay a State visit to Italy to President Tran Dai Quang. Two-way trade between Vietnam and Italy reached 4.3 billion USD in 2015. The two countries are striving for 5 billion USD per year.