President Võ Văn Thưởng (left) and Italian President Sergio Mattarella co-chair the press conference. VNA/VNS Photo

ROME President Võ Văn Thưởng and Italian President Sergio Mattarella co-chaired a press conference on July 26 afternoon to inform about the results of their talks earlier.

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 within the day.

President Thưởng thanked the Italian Parliament for ratifying the agreement, saying that he believes that the approval will benefit businesses and people of the two countries, significantly contributing to further promoting bilateral trade and investment cooperation in the coming time.

Mattarella said the two sides discussed many important contents and acknowledged achievements in the bilateral cooperation relationship, which has developed fruitfully in recent times.

The two sides agreed to maintain and expand comprehensive relations, especially the exchange of delegations at all levels, he noted.

The Italian leader showed his happiness when receiving President Thưởng’s invitation to visit Việt Nam.

He thanked Việt Nam for presenting medical face masks to his country during its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that this was a special connection, embodying the spirit of strategic partnership.

According to Mattarella, there are many Italian businesses investing and doing successfully in Việt Nam, and the number is constantly increasing.

President Mattarella also mentioned with pleasure that the two sides agreed to promote culture and renewable energy cooperation.

The two sides discussed the collaboration between Việt Nam and the EU community, he said, noting that Việt Nam plays an important role for the EU, serving as an axis connecting the EU with ASEAN, especially cooperation in free trade and investment.

The two sides also agreed to continue coordination at international forums and work closely in responding to climate change, Mattarella said.

For his part, President Thưởng stressed that in its foreign policy, Việt Nam attaches special importance to the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Italy - an important member of the EU and the international community.

He thanked the host for his recognition and good assessment of the bilateral relations, saying that the specific issues mentioned by the Italian President showed the increasing political trust and mutual understanding between Vietnam and Italy.

The two countries have achieved important achievements across fields after 50 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic cooperation partnership.

He said the talks were held in a sincere, frank and open manner with many important contents discussed.

The two sides agreed to expand cooperation in all areas from politics and diplomacy, to trade, investment, education and training, science-technology, culture, and people-to-people exchange, Thưởng said, saying that these are necessary and important for stronger and more effective bilateral relations, reaching new heights as desired by the leaders and people of the two countries.

Sharing with the Italian President's concerns about the recent regional and global situations, President Thưởng asserted Việt Nam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, noting that Việt Nam wishes to be a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community.

Việt Nam 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, he said.

Regarding cooperation between Việt Nam, the EU and ASEAN, President Thưởng affirmed that Việt Nam will support and exert every effort to make the relationship between Italy and ASEAN better and better, he stated.

Referring to culture cooperation, the Vietnamese leader said he fully supports and agrees with the Italian President on the establishment of an Italian culture centre in Việt Nam to further promote culture exchanges between the two countries, and help Italians understand more about Vietnamese culture and vice versa. VNS