Celebrating the 80th anniversary of Italy's National Day.

On the evening of June 2nd, the Italian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Republic of Italy (June 2nd, 1946 – June 2nd, 2026). Attendees included leaders of Ho Chi Minh City, representatives of diplomatic agencies, international organizations, the business community, and Italian citizens living and working in Vietnam.

Italian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Alessandra Tognonato, speaks at the ceremony. Photo: THUY VU

Speaking at the ceremony, the Italian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Alessandra Tognonato, said that in 2025, bilateral trade between Italy and Vietnam will reach 6.9 billion EUR (approximately 8.3 billion USD) and continue to grow in the first months of 2026.

Currently, there are over 100 Italian businesses operating within the Italian consular district (responsible for the South) and approximately 870 Italian citizens residing in Ho Chi Minh City, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total Italian population in Vietnam.

Beyond economic cooperation, Italy is promoting numerous cooperation programs in science, education, and culture with Vietnam. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has co-funded 60 joint research projects with Vietnamese partners and is also implementing cooperation activities on Earth observation in the Mekong Delta.

In the future, Italy and Vietnam will continue to organize many cultural exchange events, such as the Italian Film Festival, Italian Food Week, Italian Language Week, and the Study in Italy program.

Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Van Bay speaks at the ceremony. Photo: THUY VU

Attending the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Van Bay congratulated Italy on the achievements it has made over the past 80 years.

The Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee highly appreciated the Vietnam-Italy relationship since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973 and more than 10 years since upgrading the relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2013.

According to the Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the Vietnam-Italy relationship is currently in a very positive stage of development, becoming increasingly rich, substantive, and effective. Regarding the relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and Italy, trade turnover is projected to reach over 800 million USD by 2025, and Italy currently has 92 investment projects in the city with a total registered capital of 279 million USD.

The Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee affirmed that the city wishes to continue expanding cooperation with Italian partners in the fields of finance, green industry, renewable energy, logistics, innovation, and climate change response.

THUY VU

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ky-niem-80-nam-quoc-khanh-italy-post855658.html