Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thi Bich Hue addresses the opening ceremony of the Honorary Consulate of Vietnam in Naples city on November 18 (Photo: VNA)

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Thi Bich Hue underlined that the unceasingly enhanced political relations between the two countries have strongly promoted cooperation in trade, culture, education, science - technology, security - defence, climate change response, and locality-to-locality ties.

Vietnam is currently the largest trade partner of Italy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while Italy ranks third among EU trade partners of the Southeast Asian nation, with annual bilateral trade standing at around 5 billion USD.

Aside from bilateral consultations, the two sides have signed and implemented a number of joint projects in various areas, she said, adding that the practical and timely mutual assistance in the COVID-19 fight is a demonstration of their sustainable and sincere friendship.

The Honorary Consulate in Naples will help Campania friends and businesses to understand more about Vietnam and support Vietnamese citizens living in the region, thus contributing to bilateral connections, Hue said.

At the ceremony, officials of Campania and Naples highlighted the huge potential for the Italian region’s cooperation with Vietnamese localities and enterprises.

Deputy Mayor of Naples Maria Filippone voiced her hope that the consulate will help connect the city with Vietnamese partners, thus reinforcing and expanding the network of international partners of Naples and Campania.

Expressing his honour to become the Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Naples, Silvio Vecchione pledged to fulfill his duty to introduce the country to local people, boost economic, trade, cultural, and people-to-people exchange, and assist Vietnamese people living in the Campania region and Italy as a whole.

The first Honorary Consulate of Vietnam in Italy is located in Turin city, with Sandra Scagliotti working as the Honorary Consul./.

Source: VNA