50 years ago, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) started its own adventure, a regional integration process through which it became a driving force of the economic growth and the development of its more than 600 million individuals
There are many similarities between that process - and its three pillars: political, economic and socio-cultural – and the achievement of the European dream. Above all, both processes aim at creating a model of regional integration able to ensure peace and harmonious development to its people. Italy, as a founding country of the EU, follows the dynamics within ASEAN and stands ready to contribute to its strengthening by sharing with its 10 Member States knowledge, experiences and by enhancing strong cooperation in all sectors.
To support and make more effective such a commitment, as well as to raise awareness of our genuine interest and of the importance and we place on our relationship with ASEAN countries, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a unique initiative establishing the first "Italy-ASEAN Week". Each Italian Embassy operating in an ASEAN country will celebrate the event from November 20 to November 26, this year.
Within this extraordinary framework and benefitting from the unique season the Italian/Vietnamese relations are experiencing, as the intensity of commercial and socio-cultural exchanges shows, the Embassy of Italy in Hanoi has finalized a rich and multifaceted calendar of events.
The "Italy-ASEAN Week" program in Hanoi will showcase in full spectrum the best of the Italian lifestyle, or in our words, "vivere all’italiana", to bring Italy closer than ever to the Vietnamese public. The ambitious program will actually last longer than a single week, from November 17 to November 27, and will incorporate many activities pertaining to the “2nd Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World”.
1) “Italian Cultural Fair / Piazza Italia”: on 18 and 19 November, an original "Italian Trail" will depart from the central Ly Thai To square and will connect many other places in the city center, particularly meaningful to the Italian culture (such as Max Mara and Moschino). The “trail” will take the public along an exclusively designed path enriched by booths for Italian food & wine tasting (with the participation of the Italian gastronomic champions in Hanoi), exhibitions of Italian design creations (Ariston, Hung Yen, Maserati and Piaggio), musical performances (with the “Amici” band and students from Hanoi University), cultural presentations (an original show on the Renaissance will be staged by Italian actors) will be held in Ly Thai To square. Screening of Italian films and an exhibition of paintings by Mrs. Laura Federici will take place at Casa Italia, centre of excellence for the promotion of the Italian culture.

Italia Cultural Fair/Pizza Italia in Hanoi, at Ly Thai To Monument.

2) Scientific Conference: science and technology are essential parts of the Italian-Vietnamese partnership. To introduce to the Vietnamese public the core issues of the Joint Bilateral Projects currently under development, the Embassy of Italy and the MoST will hold an ad hoc Conference, on November 21. Among the others, the experts and academics will discuss the crucial issues of nutrition and food traceability fully in keeping with EXPO Milano 2015 philosophy and with Vietnam FoodExpo 2016, in which Italy participated as guest of honor.
3) Linguistic Conference: by learning and managing the Italian language, young Vietnamese approach our culture, discovering the strengths of the so-called “Made in Italy” (fashion, cinema, design, art, cooking, sport) together with the values that shaped up the history of our people and inspire any Italian contribution to the development of the western civilization and the international community. On November 23, the University of Hanoi, in cooperation with “Universita’ per Stranieri” in Perugia, will organize a conference aimed at taking stock – with professors and researchers from Italy and other ASEAN countries – on the recent spreading of Italian language in this area. Special attention will be paid to the teaching of our idiom, of our literature and civilization, but also to the specific issues of the evaluation and certification of the acquired skills.
4) Classical Music Concert: on November 23, a young, award-winning Italian pianist, Mr. Nazareno Ferruggio, will duet with the Vietnamese pianist Phạm Quỳnh Trang at the Youth Theatre to celebrate also from a musical standpoint the traditional friendship between our two countries.
5) Food Tasting: on December 4, within the framework of the 2nd Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World, the young Italian chef Marco Gallotta from Rome will introduce to the Vietnamese public some Italian traditional recipes, offering a unique experience of Italo-Asian gastronomic-contamination.
This innovative and ambitious program, expressly tailor-made to meet the expectations of the Vietnamese public, will be made possible only thanks to the precious support of all the players of the Italian System in Vietnam and of the enthusiastic sponsors.
Such a unique cultural initiative will also prove “the” perfect anticipation of the upcoming celebrations of the 45th anniversary of the Italo-Vietnamese diplomatic relations (March 23, 2018)