Rome (VNA) - Vietnamesไe Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung paid a working visit to Sicily from April 11-12 to boost comprehensivecollaboration between Vietnamese localities and the southern Italian region as part of theVietnam-Sicily Bridge pꦓrogramme.

Hung met with key Sicilian officials, including Regional President Renato Schifani, Prefect of Palermo Massimo Mariani, Prefect of Catania Maria Carmela Librizzi, Mayor of Palermo Roberto Lagalla, and Mayor of Catania Enrico Trantino. At the meetings, Hung spoke highly of the strategic partnership and traditional friendship between Vietnam and Italy and introduced Vietnam's strengths andpotential for cooperation, especially in the fields of economy, investment,cultural exchange and tourism. He urged leaders of Sicily and the cities of Palermoand Catania to adopt policies and measures that prioritise and enhance cooperationwith Vietnamese localities in green economy, renewable energy, and semiconductorindustry. Schifani confirmed the region's keeninterest in boosting international trade cooperation with Vietnam, and specificallyexpressed his hope for Vietnam's engagement in a new airport project in Comiso. Mayor of Palermo Lagalla expressed strong support for collaborationwith Vietnam, specifically in the fields of agriculture, culture andarts, particularly with a project to promote performance exchanges betweenartists from the two countries at the Massimo Theater, the most unique andlargest theater in Italy and the third largest in Europe after Paris and Vienna. Mayor of Catania Trantino proposed a continueddiscussion on areas of cooperation that align with the strengths of both sides,expressing readiness to collaborate with the embassy to foster friendlyrelations, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. The prefects of the two cities expressed their willingnessto actively support bilateral cooperation initiatives across various fields andincrease the exchange of delegations. At working sessions with the Sicily and Catania confederationsof employers, the local business communities expressed their keen interest in steppingup cooperation with Vietnam, especially importing Vietnamese raw materials andfinished steel products, tinplate, various types of wood, coffee, and othercommodities. They were also ready to join promotional programmes, specialisedtrade fairs in Vietnam, and local cooperation activities in Italy throughout thisyear. On the occasion, Hung delivered a presentation onVietnam and Vietnam-Italy relations at the Rotary Catania Club. He also engagedin a discussion on leadership skills with 40 outstanding youth representatives acrossItaly at a seminar co-hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Sicily and Malta./.