President Vo Van Thuong departs for Austria, Italy, and the Vatican, July 23, 2023.

The visits until Friday are made at the invitations of President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Italy Sergio Mattarella and Pope Francis.

This will be the first visit to Austria by a Vietnamese President in the past 15 years, and the first trips to Italy and the Vatican by a Vietnamese head of state in the past seven years. Vietnam and Italy are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership in 2023.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alfred Gerstl, President of the Austria-Vietnam Society (GÖV) told the Vietnam News Agency that President Thuong’s visit to Austria reflects the close relationship between the two countries.

He said, for the EU and Austria, the Indo-Pacific region, especially Southeast Asia, is becoming increasingly economically and strategically important.

Due to Vietnam's key role in Southeast Asia and ASEAN, European countries are increasingly eager to strengthen ties with Vietnam, he added.