ROME – A ceremony to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Italy opened at the Trajan Markets with a stunning fashion show featuring traditional Vietnamese silk dress, event officials said.

 The collection displayed at the fashion show was designed especially by Minh Hanh for the occasion and was inspired by Italian cultural heritage and made with fabrics from the Vietnam Silk House. The “Ao Dai,” the traditional Vietnamese dress is exhibited against the backdrop of the most ancient Rome and is considered by the organisers of the event “as a seal and living heritage between two cultures.” 

 Present at the ceremony for Italy were the Foreign Undersecretary, Maria Tripodi and Rome’s Councillor for Major Events, Alessandro Onorato. Present for Vietnam were Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Le Thi Thu Hang and Ambassador to Italy, Duong Hai Hung. Others present were representatives of Italian industries that work a lot in Vietnam including the Chianti Wine Consortium, the pharmaceutical company Medexport, the Tuscan Oil Protection Consortium and Edilegno. 

 “Fifty years ago,” said the Vietnamese Deputy Minister, “our two countries established diplomatic relations at a time when Vietnam was still fighting for its independence and reunification. The Vietnamese people will never forget the invaluable support of the Italians at a time of such great difficulty for us. The image of the friendship ship “Australe” that left the port of Genoa in 1973, overcoming many storms, to dock at the port of Hai Phong with 3,000 tonnes of basic necessities for the Vietnamese people was and remains a sublime symbol of solidarity between our two countries.”

 “The spirit of solidarity and mutual support,” he continued, “was also manifested during the Covid period, when our two countries stood side by side in overcoming the challenges caused by the pandemic. “

 The Minster rounded up his address saying, “the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership is continuously expanding, jointly responding to global challenges and towards sustainable development for the wellbeing of people.”

 The opening ceremony kicks off a series of initiatives that will be held in Rome and many other Italian cities throughout 2023. These include the Vietnamese Film Day at the Asian Film Festival, fashion shows in Bologna and Naples, a seminar on the reality and prospects of Vietnam in Milan, a seminar on Ho Chi Minh's time in Italy, a photographic exhibition on relations and solidarity between Vietnam and Italy and economic and cultural activities in Umbria.

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