NA Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn meets with Việt Nam’s Honorary Consul in Torino Sandra Scagliotti. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

MILAN — Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Trần Thanh Mẫn had a meeting with Việt Nam’s Honorary Consul in Torino Sandra Scagliotti as part of the top legislator's official visit to Italy.

Expressing his special impressions upon visiting Italy, a country rich in cultural traditions and beauty that maintains a longstanding friendship with Việt Nam, NA Chairman Mẫn said that his visit takes place at a time when Việt Nam–Italy relations are developing strongly after more than 50 years of diplomatic ties and over a decade of the Strategic Partnership framework.

The two countries have maintained effective and comprehensive cooperation in numerous areas, including politics-diplomacy, trade-investment, culture, education-training, and defence-security, while expanding collaboration into new fields such as science-technology, innovation, environmental protection and climate change response, he noted.

Sharing details of the visit’s agenda, the NA leader said he will hold meetings and talks with Italy’s top leaders in the coming days. At these meetings, both sides are expected to discuss measures to further enhance comprehensive cooperation and deepen the Việt Nam–Italy Strategic Partnership, with a view to upgrading bilateral relations in the future. He added that Việt Nam will also propose that Italy continue facilitating connections among agencies, organisations and associations of both countries to strengthen practical and effective cooperation.

A view of the meeting. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

For her part, Scagliotti congratulated Chairman Mẫn on his re-election as Chairman of the NA of Việt Nam, she expressed confidence that under the leadership of Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm and other newly consolidated key leaders, Việt Nam will successfully implement strategic policies and enter a new era of development based on a self-reliant and resilient economy aimed at improving people’s well-being.

She said that Việt Nam is not only a subject of historical and academic research for her but also a very special part in her heart. Expressing gratitude to the country and its people, she recalled completing her studies in Việt Nam in 1989, noting that the determination and resilience of the Vietnamese people had inspired her political resolve and revolutionary ethics.

The greatest lesson she has drawn from Việt Nam, she said, is that independence and freedom should never be compromised. Today, Việt Nam has become a peaceful, prosperous and reform-oriented country that actively contributes to building a better world for all.

NA Chairman Mẫn expressed appreciation for Scagliotti’s sincere affection for Việt Nam and commended her positive role as Việt Nam’s Honorary Consul in Torino. He also highlighted the contributions of people-to-people organisations such as the Italy–Việt Nam Friendship Association, local friendship chapters, and the Italy–Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce, as well as research and publications on Việt Nam and Hồ Chí Minh produced by the consular office and the Việt Nam Study Centre in Torino.

The NA Chairman affirmed that the Party, State and people of Việt Nam will never forget the valuable support of the Italian people during Việt Nam’s struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as in its national development and building process.

Acknowledging Scagliotti’s proposals to further promote Việt Nam’s image and people in the future, Chairman Mẫn expressed his hope that the Honorary Consul, the Honorary Consul’s office and Italian friends would continue working closely with the Embassy of Việt Nam in Italy in community activities and initiatives connected to Việt Nam, thereby helping nurture friendship and serving as an important bridge to enhance cooperation between the two countries. — VNA/VNS