Vietnam, Italy promote academic exchange

Overview of the meeting between the delegation and officials from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

During their stay, Quy and his delegation held round-table meetings with officials from functional departments of Italy ’s Foreign Ministry, met those from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and exchanged knowledge with experts of the Institute for International Political Studies of Italy and the geopolitical magazine, Limes.

At the meetings, the two sides shared analysis and evaluation of the global, ASEAN and European Union situation, as well as current challenges facing these regions.

The two sides discussed the outcomes of several events including the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in early November in Laos, the 21st ASEAN Summit, the recent 7 th East Asia Summit (EAS) in Cambodia, as well as impacts of these outcomes on the role and status of ASEAN and the EU’s role and contributions in security achitecture in Asia-Pacific.

Scholars at the meetings agreed that in a time when the European economy is facing difficulties and the US is implementing a “re-balance” policy to Asia, the EU is increasingly cooperating with East Asian countries, especially ASEAN members, including Vietnam .

Italy is increasingly interested in ensuring peace, stability and respect of international law in the Southeast Asian region, they said.

The two sides considered possibilities to increase co-operation between ASEAN and the EU as well as between Vietnam and the EU in trade, investment and experience sharing, as well as at bilateral forums. They evaluated cooperation in specific areas including maritime security and other non-traditional security matters.

During the meeting with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Quy thanked the Italian side for their support to Vietnam during its fight for national independence in the past, as well as the country’s current cause of national construction and development.

Quy took the occasion to invite the Italian parliamentarians to visit Vietnam to consolidate bilateral ties.

In response, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Stefano Stefani applauded Quy’s visit, saying that it will contribute to boosting friendship and co-operation between the two countries.

He said Italy pays much interest to Vietnam’s process of integration and development, as well as its steps forward in socio-economy.

Some parliamentarians of the Democratic Party and People of Freedom Party also expressed their hope to co-operate with Vietnam in areas of Italy’s strengths.