My heartfelt thanks to President Truong Tan Sang for such a walm welcome.
It is my first visit as President of the Republic of Italy outside Europe and the Mediterranean and I am very pleased that it has brought me here, to Vietnam, a country with which we have forged a strong strategic partnership.
The important agreements just signed, in the presence of President Truong Tan Sang and myself, show how much Italy and Vietnam are committed to developing and implementing this partnership.
Our collaboration embraces many sectors, and we both believe that it can develop further and broaden to include many more.
I took the opportunity to thank President Sang for Vietnam's presence at the Milan Expo. The Vietnamese Pavillion was exceptionally beautiful, and among those most visited and appreciated.
We discussed the theme of the Milan Expo, food and hunger in the world. Vietnam and Italy are fully in agreement on need to seriously address these issues.
We talked of the problems connected to climate change and the need to safeguard the environment. Here too we have a shared stance.
We tackled the topic of maritime freedom - a particularly sensitive issue for Italy - expressing support for free and safe navigation, with the belief that all problems can be resolved through the tools of international law.
Vietnam and Italy both pursue peace within the international community, and this sees them always fully collaborate within all international bodies, starting with the United Nations.
On the matter of bilateral cooperation, which is excellent, I would also like to reiterate the great potential for further enhancing our economic, commercial and business cooperation, as well as the cutural cooperation among our universities which we hope will broaden. We give great importance to cultural cooperation, which bears witness to the friendly relations between Vietnamese and Italian peoples.
I expressed my appreciation for the Vietnamese community in Italy to President Sang, as well as Italy's intention to protect its presence and settlement.
I believe that our meeting allowed us to further reiterate and develop our intention to strengthen our friendship and cooperation, and for this too I am very grateful to President Sang.
