The vice-president of the Calabria Region, Giusi Princi, representing President Occhiuto, received, this afternoon in the Cittadella, the ambassador of Vietnam to Italy Duong Hai Hung, accompanied by a delegation including economic consultant Dang Phuong Thi Thao and the president of Italy-Vietnam Foundation, Maily Anna Maria Nguyen, who organized the ambassador’s institutional visit to Calabria.
“I am very honored – said Princi – to welcome you on your first visit to our beautiful region. I believe that the different sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, tourism, food and wine, culture and new technologies, are an excellent basis for starting trade exchanges between your country and Calabria. We have been governing the Region with President Roberto Occhiuto for just over two and a half years. We really believe in the potential of Calabria, with its 800 kilometers of coastline, three national parks and five marine parks it has a lot to offer and a strong development potential”.
“I am very happy – said Duong Hai Hung – to be able to listen to your proposals. The Italian government is implementing relations with my country a lot. Italy is a strategic partner of Vietnam. Our goal is to carry forward a system of international collaboration for the Regions of Italy and Calabria is one of these”.
Thus began the cordial discussion between the Vietnamese ambassador and the Calabrian vice president.
After a discussion on mutual needs and opportunities, which may become the subject of future relations, it was decided, among other things, to focus on the creation of tourist packages that also include the Calabria destination, “also supported by the fact – specified the vice-president Princi – that as a Region we are investing heavily in transport and air connections. We will aim to welcome tourists from Vietnam to Calabria, also allowing them to experience and appreciate our beautiful villages with the possibility of encouraging their repopulation”.
“Our country – relaunched Duong Hai Hung -, which has a young demographic structure and a rapidly growing middle class, also has a strategic position: a gateway for Italian companies to access the largest market in Asia. We also have a network of free trade agreements. All this helps us to develop collaboration also in the agriculture sector, which is rich in quality products such as wine and oil, but also in the fashion sector, where Italian style is highly appreciated. Ours is a fairly large market. And I am very happy to note that Calabria could be a region for developing trade relations and cultural exchanges. Vietnamese people also like to travel. The visa exemption for Italian passports is 45 days. And Calabria, as I’m getting to know it these days, is a beautiful destination to focus on.”
In view of all this, we left with the commitment to agree on dates to set up concrete collaboration projects, also in consideration of the fact that the vice-president will also have an international position having been elected to the European Parliament. We greeted each other with a mutual exchange of gifts, each representing their own territory. Furthermore, Ambassador Duong Hai Hung also donated a vase made by a Vietnamese artist, which was exhibited at the Milan Expo, to be exhibited in a Calabrian museum. Vice President Princi has undertaken to personally deliver it to the Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria, custodian of the Riace Bronzes.
