Official welcoming ceremony for President Vo Van Thuong on state visit to Italy

According to the special correspondent of VNA, on the morning of July 26 (local time), the official welcoming ceremony forPresident Vo Van Thuong and his wife on a state visit to Italy took place solemnly at the Presidential Palace in Rome, chaired by Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

The Italian Presidential Palace is the Palazzo del Quirinale, one of the most famous buildings in the "boot-shaped country" with its massive scale, unique architecture, and strong Renaissance culture. The palace was inaugurated in 1583, located on the highest hill of the seven hills that form the capital of Rome, about 110,000 m² wide, with 1,200 separate rooms with different functions.

President Vo Van Thuong and President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella review the honor guard.

This is the 6th largest palace in the world , and has also been the official palace of the Italian royal dynasties since 1870. From 1946 to present, it has become the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Italy. This palace is also famous for its unique collection of works of art by master painters, including oil paintings, sculptures, tapestries, reliefs, furniture, ceramics, sophisticated clocks...

President Vo Van Thuong and President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella at the welcoming ceremony. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

The welcoming ceremony for President Vo Van Thuong and his wife was held solemnly with state-level rituals. Right from Venezia Square, the Italian Honor Guard escorted the car of President Vo Van Thuong and his wife from the square to the Presidential Palace. At the parking lot in front of the red carpet, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter came to welcome, shake hands, and warmly welcome President Vo Van Thuong and his wife. To the sound of welcoming music, the Italian President invited President Vo Van Thuong to step to the position of honor. The military band played the national anthems of both countries.

After the national anthems of the two countries, the Captain of the Italian Guard of Honor saluted and invited the two leaders to review the Guard of Honor with hundreds of soldiers in full uniform, carrying guns to welcome them.

President Vo Van Thuong and President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella at the welcoming ceremony. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

After the welcoming ceremony, President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter invited President Vo Van Thuong and his wife to the Bronzino Room in the Palazzo del Quirinale Palace, where they took a group photo and met with official delegations from both countries attending the welcoming ceremony. Afterwards, President Sergio Mattarella and President Vo Van Thuong led high-ranking delegations from both countries to hold talks.

President of the Republic of Italy Sergio Mattarella welcomes President Vo Van Thuong. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

President Vo Van Thuong and President of the Republic of Italy Sergio Mattarella hold talks after the welcoming ceremony. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

Over the past 50 years, Vietnam-Italy relations have developed positively, comprehensively and in depth in all areas, both bilateral and multilateral cooperation, especially since the two sides signed the “Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership” on the occasion of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s state visit to Italy in 2013.

President of the Republic of Italy Sergio Mattarella and Italian officials at the meeting. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

In an interview with VNA reporters, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Antonio Alessandro said that Italy and Vietnam have changed a lot in the past half century and so has the world. The two sides will exchange and support each other a lot, because Italy is a founding member of the European Union (EU) and a member of the Group of Seven (G7), while Vietnam is a prominent member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and also one of the most dynamic economies in the Indo-Pacific region.

President Vo Van Thuong and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation at the talks. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung, this is the first state visit of President Vo Van Thuong to a member country of the G7, EU and a strategic partner of Vietnam. Notably, the visit takes place at the same time that Vietnam and Italy are jointly celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of strategic partnership with many vibrant, diverse and practical activities in many regions and cities of the two countries. The Italian government has included Vietnam in the list of 20 countries that will continue to prioritize trade and investment promotion until 2030.

According to VNA/Newspaper

Source link