Rome: Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung has congratulated Vietnamese enterprises - the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) and the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (HAWA) - for their initial success in showcasing Vietnamese products in Milan Design Week in Italy - a design and brand arena of furniture businesses around the world. While visiting the Vietnam pavilion at the event on April 18, the diplomat encouraged enterprises to focus on enhancing their competitiveness through good cooperation with design buyers in Italy and Europe, thus penetrating deeper into the European market, as well as other markets. The Vietnamese wood industry needs substantial and systematic investment to enter and dominate higher market segments, he stressed. The pavilion opens to visitors from April 16 - 21. Covering a total area of 360 sq.m, it is showcasing outstanding furniture and handicraft products from 35 Vietnamese enterprises. Vietnam is renowned for its export of furni ture, ranking sixth in the world. The debut at the Milan Design Week is a significant affirmation of the creative values of Vietnamese furniture and handicraft industry on the international stage, demonstrating its strength and potential for strong development./. Source: Vietnam News Agency