State Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân at the meeting with President of the Lombardy Regional Government Attilio Fontana on Tuesday.— VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Hải

ROME — Việt Nam has attached much importance to its Strategic Partnership with Italy and expects to deepen the bilateral relations in a substantive and effective manner across all areas, including cooperation between its localities and Lombardy region, State Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân said.

At a meeting with President of the Lombardy Regional Government Attilio Fontana on Tuesday as part of her working trip to the European country, Xuân highlighted the potential for enhancing collaboration in the domains of trade – investment and climate change response.

She suggested Lombardy establish partnerships with several Vietnamese localities and economic centres, and expressed her confidence that the new direct flight between Hà Nội and Milan - the capital of Lombardy - will help strengthen cooperation between the two regions, cultures, and peoples.

Meanwhile, Fontana said that Xuân’s visit affirms Việt Nam’s goodwill to promote the bilateral ties.

Recalling memories from his visit to Việt Nam in 2023, he praised the country’s reorganisation of administrative units and two-tier local administration model, describing these as crucial measures for the country's socio-economic development.

He believed that the Việt Nam – Lombardy relations boast huge potential for further development, underscoring local enterprises’ keen interest in seeking investment opportunities in Việt Nam.

He also expressed his delight over the inauguration of the Hà Nội – Milan direct flight during Xuân’s visit, which will facilitate trade and people exchanges between the two countries.

At the event, Xuân also engaged with extensive discussions from both delegations regarding measures to advance the Việt Nam-Italy relations and cooperation between Vietnamese localities and the Lombardy region.

The conversations encompassed diverse sectors including trade-investment, energy transition, tourism, culture, international financial centre, education-training, science-technology, industry, digital transformation, and circular economy.

The same day, the Vietnamese leader had a meeting with the Vietnamese community and Italian friends on the occasion of the 135th birth anniversary of President Hồ Chí Minh, during which she highlighted their crucial role in fostering the friendship and promoting multifaceted cooperation between the two nations.— VNS