The northern Emilia-Romagna region of Italy will assist Vietnamin technology transfer and human resources training as part of twoagreements signed in Boglona city on March 12 aiming at boostingeconomic and trade relations between the two sides.

Under the agreements, which were reached between Vietnamese AmbassadorNguyen Hoang Long, Director in charge of production in the region GianCarlo Muzzarrelli and President of the Emilia-Romagna Union of Chambersof Commerce (Unioncamere Emilia Romagna) Carlo Alberto Roncarati, aVietnam Office will be established at the Union headquarter.

The office, managed by the Vietnamese Embassy and funded byEmilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna region, will act as a direct link tostrengthen economic and trade ties, as well as assist Vietnam’sbusinesses to seek investment opportunities in the region and attractits investment capital and technologies to Vietnam.

Emilia-Romagna region will help Vietnam in vocational training,particularly in mechanical engineering industry, under a plan beingdevised by the two countries to set up a national research and trainingcentre.

Authorities in the region said they havedecided to choose Vietnam as one of key markets for its businessesto expand cooperation and investment in 2013.

Theyalso pledged to enhance coordination in organising activities tocelebrate the 40th anniversary of establishment of Vietnam-Italydiplomatic ties.

Earlier, during his working visitto Boglona, Ambassador Long met with former Italian Prime MinisterRomano Prodi, who is scheduled to visit Vietnam on March 17-18.

At the meeting, the diplomat informed Prodi of Vietnam’ssocio-economic and political situation and fine developments in theVietnam-Italy relations.-VNA