He spoke at a ceremony hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Rome on the evening of September 24 to mark Vietnam’s 81st National Day (September 2, 1945–2026).

The event was also attended by Vietnamese Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Nguyen Dinh Khang, who was on a working visit to Italy, representatives of the Italian Government and Parliament, the Vatican, Italian ministries and agencies, international organisations, the diplomatic corps and the Vietnamese community.

Valentini said that in a rapidly changing world, finding major and reliable friends is of great importance. Economic cooperation between the two countries has continued to expand, from Italian machinery used in factories in Vietnam and growing Vietnamese coffee exports to Italy, to value chains combining Vietnam’s manufacturing capacity with Italian technology and expertise.

The two sides are also broadening cooperation into new areas, including defence, energy transition and space, he added.

Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Phuong Anh highlighted the historic journey of the Vietnamese nation over the past 81 years since President Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). Through decades of hardship and perseverance, the Vietnamese people have built a peaceful country, taken pride in their rich cultural heritage and confidently looked towards the future.

She underlined the orientations set by the 14th National Party Congress, which place people and culture at the centre of development and identify science, technology and innovation as drivers of green and digital transformation.

She expressed her pride in the Vietnam-Italy Strategic Partnership, established in 2013 and continuously strengthened over the decades, highlighting National Assembly (NA) President Tran Thanh Man’s official visit to Italy in April as evidence of the two countries’ determination to further deepen bilateral cooperation.

Two-way trade has exceeded 6.7 billion EUR (7.6 billion USD), making Vietnam one of Italy’s leading trading partners in ASEAN. Direct air services between Hanoi and Milan are also creating new opportunities for trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese community of around 5,000 people in Italy continues to serve as an important bridge between the two countries.

The ceremony featured performances of traditional Vietnamese musical instruments by Meritorious Artist Tang Thanh Son and artist Minh Trang from the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in France, as well as traditional Vietnamese cuisine./. VNA