Strengthening cooperation between Vietnam and the Ionian Islands, Greece

From July 16-19, Ambassador Pham Thi Thu Huong led a delegation of the Vietnamese Embassy to visit and work on Corfu Island, the capital of the Ionian Islands, to promote and strengthen cooperation between Vietnam and the Ionian Islands, which include 7 islands located in the southwest of Greece.

Governor of the Ionian Islands Yianis Trepeklis and Ambassador Pham Thi Thu Huong.

Ambassador Pham Thi Thu Huong met and worked with Mr. Yianis Trepeklis, Governor of the Ionian Islands at the regional office headquarters located on Corfu Island.

Speaking at the meeting, Governor Yianis Trepeklis warmly welcomed the Vietnamese Ambassador to Corfu Island, saying that the Ambassador's visit marks the beginning of rapprochement and enhanced cooperation between the Ionian Islands and Vietnam.

According to Governor Yianis Trepeklis, as an archipelago with islands popular with international tourists, such as Corfu, Zakynthos, Lefkada and Cephalonia, the sixth largest island in Greece, tourism plays an important role in the economic development of the region.

In addition, the regional government focuses on implementing environmental protection policies, preserving and promoting cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO.

Governor Yianis Trepeklis hopes to strengthen tourism and cultural cooperation with Vietnam, so that more Vietnamese people will visit the Ionian Islands and is ready to welcome local Vietnamese delegations to exchange and cooperate in the issue of sustainable development of the marine economy combined with conservation of nature and environment.

Along with introducing the potential, strengths and priority orientations in Vietnam's current economic development, Ambassador Pham Thi Thu Huong emphasized the common points and similarities in culture, history and geography between Vietnam and Greece. According to the Ambassador, with about 4,000 large and small islands and a coastline of more than 3,200km, the marine economy, including tourism, plays an important role in Vietnam.

In the first half of 2025, Vietnam welcomed nearly 11 million international visitors. The number of Vietnamese tourists traveling abroad reached more than 5 million people/year and Greece is one of the favorite destinations that is increasingly chosen by many Vietnamese tourists.

Vietnam is ready to invite representatives of the Ionian regional government and businesses in the region to visit Vietnam to explore the potential for economic and cultural cooperation; hopes that Ionian hotel and restaurant businesses will employ Vietnamese workers on the island, and the regional government and the Embassy will coordinate to connect.

During the exchange, Governor Yianis Trepeklis asked the Ambassador to provide information on international tourism exhibitions and fairs held in Vietnam, especially in the capital Hanoi ; expressed the strong interest of the Ionian Islands region in participating in tourism and cultural promotion activities in Vietnam, a dynamically developing tourism market in Asia, with a population of over 100 million people.

Governor Yianis Trepeklis also proposed establishing a twinning cooperative relationship between the Ionian Islands region and a Vietnamese coastal and island region to develop cooperation in the fields of tourism, exchange and share experiences in developing the marine economy and protecting the marine environment as well as many practical activities unique to the regions with archipelago mechanisms.

According to Governor Yianis Trepeklis, the geographical similarity will help the two sides find common ground, understand each other better and be ready to sign a cooperation document with Vietnam.

Speaking to the press immediately after the meeting, Governor Yianis Trepeklis said: “Vietnam is a country with thousands of islands. We have common interests and many similarities in our way of life. Vietnam has a rich cultural tradition and the Ionian Islands are a destination that, in addition to tourism, also has a strong cultural treasure, a factor that creates our comparative advantage. We discussed the prospects for cultural diplomacy and proposed cultural exchanges and cooperation to better understand each other's cultures. In the future, this cooperation could be established by an agreement or a protocol of friendship on cooperation between the Ionian region and the regions of Vietnam.”

In addition, the delegation was invited by Governor Yianis Trepeklis to visit and listen to an introduction to the history of formation and development of the Ionian Islands in particular and Greek history in general at the Corfu Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art.

The director of the Asian Art Museum proposed to cooperate with Vietnam in opening an exhibition corner on Vietnamese artworks. This is the national museum of Greece, currently displaying artworks from China, Japan, Korea, India, Cambodia and some South Asian countries.

Also within the framework of the visit to Corfu Island, the delegation visited the family of Mr. Konstantinos Fitsitzoglou, a Greek-born Viet Minh soldier with the Vietnamese name Nguyen Van Bong, to hear stories of Viet Minh enlightenment and participation in the resistance war against the French for 7 years with dozens of large and small battles throughout Binh Thuan province.

During his lifetime, Mr. Konstantinos Fitsitzoglou Nguyen Van Bong once said, “I was born in Greece, but Vietnam is my first homeland because I spent my youth here. I shared the joys and sorrows with my comrades and comrades during the war.”

Mr. Nguyen Van Bong has now passed away. His son Hoang Minh Chau (Greek name Chau Fitsitzoglou), his wife and two children are all doctors and are living on Corfu Island, integrating well with the local community and still maintaining the Vietnamese cultural traditions and language in daily life.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tang-cuong-hop-tac-viet-nam-va-quan-dao-ionian-hy-lap-321917.html