President Võ Văn Thưởng, his spouse and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation meet with President of Tuscany Eugenio Giani and Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella during his official visit in Italy. VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

ROME – Visiting Florence, capital of Italy’s Tuscany region on Friday (local time), President Võ Văn Thưởng held separate working sessions with President of Tuscany Eugenio Giani and Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella.

Expressing his delight at visiting Florence, known as the birthplace of Renaissance art with numerous ancient architectural structures and museums displaying masterpieces by European and world-renowned painters, President Thưởng praised the dynamic development of Tuscany region and Florence city in the fields of art, heritage conservation and sustainable tourism.

Giani, for his part, congratulated Thưởng on his successful State visit to Italy, saying that it is a manifestation of friendship and solidarity between the two nations and trust in strong and dynamic developments of bilateral ties in the coming time.

Congratulating Việt Nam on its increasing position and role on the global arena, he said Tuscany expects to strengthen cooperation with Việt Nam’s northern province of Vĩnh Phúc and extend collaboration with other Vietnamese localities.

Mayor of Florence Nardella expressed a wish to attract more Vietnamese students to the city for study and research, while stepping up collaboration with Vietnamese localities in education-training, cultural heritage conservation and energy.

He also hoped that Florence would establish a twin relationship with a Vietnamese city.

The Vietnamese President affirmed that Việt Nam attaches importance to strengthening strategic partnership with Italy and ties between localities of the two countries in particular.

Hailing the establishment of cooperative relationship between Tuscany and Vĩnh Phúc Province, which serves as a model of exemplary cooperation between localities, he called on the two countries’ cities and localities to jointly hold cultural and people-to-people exchanges, as well as expand coordination in areas of mutual strength, such as tourism and industry.

The Vietnamese guest later witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between Vĩnh Phúc and Tuscany and the presentation of a certificate on project expansion to Piaggio Group in Vĩnh Phúc.

On the occasion, President Thưởng and his spouse visited several cultural landmarks in the city. – VNS