Impressive images of President Vo Van Thuong and his wife during his state visit to Italy and the Vatican

From July 25-28, President Vo Van Thuong and his wife paid a state visit to Italy and the Vatican at the invitation of President of the Republic of Italy Sergio Mattarella and Pope Francis.

Chủ tịch nước và Phu nhân đến Rome, bắt đầu chuyến thăm cấp Nhà nước Italy và thăm Toà thánh Vatican

At nearly 5 p.m. (local time), July 25, the plane carrying President Vo Van Thuong and his wife and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation landed at Fiumicino International Airport, Italy, beginning a state visit to Italy and the Vatican. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Điểm lại những hình ảnh ấn tượng của Chủ tịch nước và Phu nhân trong chuyến thăm Italy và Toà thánh Vatican

Upon arriving in Rome, Italy, the President met with overseas Vietnamese, experts, researchers, members of friendship organizations, and close Italian friends of Vietnam at the Vietnamese Embassy. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

The Head of State of Vietnam was pleased to see that the Vietnamese community in Italy is always united, compassionate, supportive of each other, has a close relationship with the locals, and has a stable life. President Vo Van Thuong emphasized that the country and the Fatherland are like a mother, and a mother always watches over and cares for her children living and working around the world and is always happy to see her children succeed. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

On the morning of July 26, an Italian honor guard escorted the motorcade carrying the President and his wife to attend the official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

The official welcoming ceremony was solemnly held at the Italian Presidential Palace - Palazzo del Quirinale, one of the most famous buildings in the boot-shaped country with its massive scale, unique architecture, and strong Italian culture. (Photo: Office of the Italian President)

After the official 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 the official delegations from both countries attending the welcoming ceremony. (Photo: Office of the President of Italy)

President Vo Van Thuong and President Sergio Mattarella co-chaired talks between the two countries' high-ranking delegations. The two leaders emphasized the significance of the visit on the occasion of the two countries celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership, expressing their desire and determination to jointly strengthen bilateral relations in all fields. (Photo: Thong Nhat)

After the talks, the two leaders met with the press. The Head of State of Vietnam thanked the President of Italy for informing him that the Italian Parliament had ratified the EVIPA Investment Protection Agreement on the occasion of the State visit of the President, his wife and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to Italy. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Immediately afterwards, at noon the same day, President Vo Van Thuong had a meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. (Photo: Office of the Italian Prime Minister)

After a solemn welcoming ceremony at the Prime Minister's Office, the two leaders had a comprehensive discussion on bilateral cooperation and agreed on practical measures to strengthen the Vietnam-Italy Strategic Partnership. (Photo: Office of the Italian Prime Minister)

The two sides agreed to continue to effectively implement the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), considering it an important driving force to promote economic relations between the two countries. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni supports accelerating the implementation of the EVFTA to increase trade turnover to 7 billion USD. (Photo: Office of the Italian Prime Minister)

After the meeting, President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni witnessed the signing ceremony of the Cultural Cooperation Program between the Government of Vietnam and the Government of Italy for the period 2023-2026. (Photo: Thong Nhat)

The two leaders witnessed the signing ceremony of the Agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between Vietnam and Italy. (Photo: Thong Nhat)

On the same afternoon, President Vo Van Thuong met with President of the Italian Senate Ignazio La Russa. The two sides agreed to closely coordinate and support each other at inter-parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to contribute to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world. (Photo: Thong Nhat)

Immediately afterwards, the President met with President of the Italian House of Representatives Lorenzo Fontana. There, Mr. Lorenzo Fontana said that the ratification of the EVIPA Agreement by the Italian House of Representatives on the occasion of the President's visit would contribute to facilitating investment cooperation between the two sides. The two sides also agreed to continue promoting cooperation in areas with great potential such as defense - security, science - technology; affirmed that they would send a delegation of young parliamentarians to attend the Global Young Parliamentarians Conference chaired by Vietnam in September, hoping to have a closer cooperation agreement with the Vietnamese National Assembly. (Photo: Thong Nhat)

In the evening of the same day, President Vo Van Thuong met with Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri. The Head of State of Vietnam expressed his impression of visiting Rome, a world-famous city of culture, history, art and architecture; and asked the Mayor of Rome and the city's leadership to encourage and promote cooperation between the Lazio and Rome regions with Hanoi, contributing to deepening multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. (Photo: Thong Nhat)

That same evening, after the successful talks and meetings with senior Italian leaders, at the Presidential Palace in Rome, President Vo Van Thuong and his wife attended a state banquet hosted by the President and his daughter. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Emphasizing that the relationship between the two countries is a manifestation of solidarity and sincere affection; a heritage of both peoples, President Sergio Mattarella stated that the connection between the two countries has continuously developed in a diverse and effective manner, even in the most difficult times and has become a vivid manifestation of the friendship between the two countries and peoples, a specific example of which is the mutual support between the two countries during the pandemic through the donation of medical masks and Covid-19 vaccines. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

President Vo Van Thuong stated: The Vietnamese people will always remember the precious support of the Italian people for the resistance war for independence, freedom and national reunification. One of the symbols of that support is the friendship ship Australe, which transported necessities from the Italian people to help the Vietnamese people in late 1973, commanded by Captain Luciano Sossai from the port city of Genoa. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

After the reception, the President and his wife, along with the Italian President and his daughter, attended the Concert celebrating 50 years of Vietnam-Italy diplomatic relations (1973-2023). (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

The concert was performed by the Hanoi Chamber Orchestra with Vietnamese and Italian songs mixed together such as: Sinfonia from L'Olimpiade, RV 725; Four Season Winter "Largo" & Summer "Presto"; My Southern Homeland; O mio Babbino Caro; Pacer D'Amor; Dance of the Central Highlands; My Homeland Vietnam. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

On the morning of July 27, President Vo Van Thuong and his wife, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, laid a wreath at the Altare della Patria in Rome, Italy. This famous landmark, also known as the Victor Emanuel II Monument - the first King to unify Italy, is known as one of the most beautiful buildings in Rome. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

The Monument to the Fatherland is located between the Capitoline Hill and Piazza Venezia with a total area of ^17,000m2 ; built of white marble; decorated with many statues, reliefs and monumental paintings, created by artists from all over Italy. The monument is about 80m high and 120m wide. At the center of the monument is a giant equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II, sculpted by sculptor Enrico Chiaradia, weighing 50 tons, placed on a pedestal decorated with allegorical reliefs representing the cities of Italy. At the foot of the statue is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an honor guard standing guard. The monument was started in 1895 and completed in 1911. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

The President also had a meeting with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Italy Mauro Alboresi. The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Italy said that Vietnam's foreign policy has contributed to enhancing the prestige and international position of Vietnam, in which it attaches importance to solidarity between countries, respects international law, encourages countries to resolve all disputes by peaceful means; and is a responsible country in international issues. The Communist Party of Italy always wishes to promote cooperation with the Communist Party of Vietnam, thereby further promoting the traditional relationship between the two countries. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

President Vo Van Thuong received Vice President of the Italian Democratic Party Chiara Gribaudo. The Vice President of the Italian Democratic Party said that the Italian Democratic Party always supports the Italian Parliament and Government in promoting relations with Vietnam; thanked and accepted the invitation of the President to visit and work in Vietnam, a country with remarkable development achievements and an increasingly important international role. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

President Vo Van Thuong receives General Secretary of the Communist Re-Establishment Party Maurizio Acerbo. General Secretary of the Communist Re-Establishment Party expressed his honor to meet President Vo Van Thuong in Rome and said that the country and people of Vietnam have always been in his heart since his childhood. Mr. Maurizio Acerbo highly appreciated the achievements of the Communist Party of Vietnam in the history of formation and development, leading the construction and protection of the country with admirable achievements; at the same time, he believed that this visit would bring stronger development to the relationship between the two countries. The Communist Re-Establishment Party of Italy always supports the development of this relationship. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

During his state visit to Italy, President Vo Van Thuong and his wife visited the city of Florence, the capital of the Tuscany Region, and had a working meeting with President of the Tuscany Region Eugenio Giani. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Expressing his delight at visiting the city of Florence, considered the cradle of Renaissance art with many ancient architectural works and museums displaying masterpieces of European and world artists, the President highly appreciated the dynamic development of the Tuscany Region and the city of Florence in the fields of art, heritage conservation and sustainable tourism. President of the Tuscany Region Eugenio Giani introduced the city's typical architecture and works to the President. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Writing in the golden book at the Office of the President of the Tuscany Region, the President wrote: "I am very pleased to visit the Tuscany region, the homeland of the great Renaissance men, the birthplace of the Renaissance cultural movement that had a profound influence on Europe and the world." The President also "wished the Tuscany region to develop and prosper more and more." (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

President Vo Van Thuong and his wife met with Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella and his wife. The Mayor of Florence affirmed his wish to attract more Vietnamese students to the city to study and research and promote cooperation with Vietnamese localities in education and training, cultural heritage preservation and energy, and expressed his wish for Florence to establish a sister city with a Vietnamese city. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

President Vo Van Thuong expressed his delight at visiting the city of Florence, considered the cradle of Renaissance art with many ancient architectural works and museums displaying masterpieces of European and world artists, and highly appreciated the dynamic development of the Tuscany region and the city of Florence in the fields of art, heritage conservation, and sustainable tourism. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

The Mayor introduced the President and his wife to the Duomo Cathedral, which is considered one of the symbols of the city whose full name is Santa Maria del Fiore. The Duomo Cathedral is a unique Gothic architectural complex built in 1296 according to the drawings of architect Arnolfo di Cambio, and officially completed in 1436. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Writing in the Golden Book at the City Hall, President Vo Van Thuong wrote: "I am very happy to visit the beautiful city of Florence - the cradle of the Renaissance associated with the famous names of great people such as Filippo Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Giovanni Boccaccio, Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Giotto... along with world-famous cultural and artistic heritages. The cultural and artistic values that the city of Florence is preserving are forever a treasure trove of knowledge for humanity to research and study, including the people of Vietnam". The President also wished the people of Florence happiness and wished the city of Florence more and more prosperity. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Following the success of high-level meetings between President Vo Van Thuong and Italian leaders, President of the Republic of Italy Sergio Mattarella presided over the official farewell ceremony for President Vo Van Thuong, his wife and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation. The farewell ceremony took place solemnly at the Sala del Brustolon Room in the Presidential Palace, Rome. (Photo: Office of the President)

The Italian President and his daughter presided over the welcoming ceremony, farewell ceremony, and solemn State Banquet for President Vo Van Thuong, his wife, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, as well as the high-level talks and meetings between Italian leaders and the President, all demonstrated the special respect and sincere sentiments of the Italian State and people for the 50-year traditional relationship with Vietnam and the President's visit. Italy reserved state-level ceremonies for the head of state to demonstrate this respect. (Photo: Presidential Office)

On the afternoon of July 27, at the invitation of Pope Francis, President Vo Van Thuong and his wife, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, visited the Vatican. At the meeting with Pope Francis, President Vo Van Thuong affirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam consistently implement the policy of respecting and ensuring freedom of belief and religion and constantly improving the legal framework to facilitate religious activities, including Catholicism; welcomed the positive contributions of the Vietnamese Catholic community in charitable activities, education, healthcare, and vocational training, and hoped that Vietnamese Catholics would continue to contribute to the country's construction and development. (Photo: Vatican Media)

Pope Francis affirmed that the Holy See wishes for the Holy See-Vietnam relationship to develop better and better; emphasized that the Catholic Church in Vietnam needs to continue to better implement the guidelines of "accompanying the nation", "good parishioners are good citizens", and at the same time encourage Catholic parishioners and dignitaries in Vietnam to actively contribute to the development of the country and the Church. (Photo: Vatican Media)

President Vo Van Thuong affirmed that Vietnam will facilitate the activities of the resident representative, in accordance with Vietnamese laws, regulations and bilateral agreements. (Photo: Vatican Media)

Immediately after the meeting with the Pope, President Vo Van Thuong and his wife, along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, met with the Holy See's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin at the Vatican. (Photo: Vatican Media)

President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister, Cardinal Pietro Parolin discussed the two sides' approval of the Regulations on the operation of the Holy See's Permanent Representative and Permanent Representative Office in Vietnam. The President said that Vietnam will continue to support the Holy See in completing the necessary procedures to open the Holy See's Permanent Representative Office in Hanoi and support the activities of the Permanent Representative in Vietnam. (Photo: Vatican Media)

At the end of the President's visit to the Vatican, the two sides issued a joint press release on the approval of the Regulations on the operation of the Permanent Representative and the Office of the Permanent Representative of the Holy See in Vietnam. (Photo: Vatican Media)