Foreign minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi on Monday began a four-day trip to Vietnam and Singapore to boost relations with the two Southeast Asian nations, which he said are of top geopolitical and economic importance for Italy.
"The aim is of the trip to strengthen relations with the two countries of the South-East Asian region, which are of priority interest for Italy," Moavero stated ahead of the visit.
Geopolitics, trade and culture are the three crucial areas in which Italy wants to enhance ties with Vietnam and Singapore, Moavero said.
Vietnam is Italy's top trading partner in the region and during his visit to the country, Moavero will hold talks with its deputy premier and foreign minister Pham Binh Minh and National Assembly head Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.
Together with Hanoi's mayor Nguyen Duc Chung, Moavero will open "The beauty of knowledge" exhibition organised to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, according Italy's foreign ministry.
Singapore, one of the world's leading global financial and economic centres, boasts the 5th highest per capita income in the world and is Southeast Asia's main importer of Italian goods, especially high-end goods, the foreign ministry said.
Over 300 of Italian companies have permanent headquarters in Singapore and Moavero will hold meetings there "at the highest level" including with premier Lee Hsien Loong, foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Ambassador Chio Kiat Ow.
Moavero will also meet members of the Italian community, business representatives and embassy staff in the Vietnamese capital and in Singapore as well as at the consulate in Ho Chi Minh, said the foreign ministry.
