The Embassy of Vietnam in Italy recently coordinated with authorities from Castelbuono in Palermo, the capital of southern Sicily region, to organise a forum on enhancing economic cooperation.

Vietnam can study the possibility of cooperation with Sicily in planting and exporting the region’s “Fico d’India”, a plant similar to Vietnamese dragon fruit. 

More than 30 businesses from the Sicily region participated in the event.

Delegates presented cooperation possibilities between Vietnam and Sicily, focusing on trade of goods such as farm produce, rice, coffee and spices from Vietnam, and food, tourism and hotel services from Sicily.

Nguyen Duc Thanh, Minister Counselor at the Vietnamese embassy in Italy, said from the experience of developing production and export of dragon fruits, Vietnam can study the possibility of cooperation with Sicily in planting and exporting the region’s “Fico d’India”, a plant similar to Vietnamese dragon fruit.

Salvatore Caltagirone, a member in charge of the Madonie nature reserve, one of the 10 geological parks in Italy recognised by UNESCO, expressed his hope of finding Vietnamese partners to coordinate for development research and the preservation of nature reserves in Italy and Vietnam through funding from the European Union.

After the forum, participants said they wished to organise a larger workshop soon to step up bilateral cooperation.