A senior Vietnamese official has called on the French Economical, Social and Environmental Council (FESEC) and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) to cement their comprehensive cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples.

President of the VFF Central Committee Huynh Dam, who is paying a four-day visit to France, made the statement while meeting with FESEC President Jean-Paul Delevoye in Paris on June 27.

The Vietnamese guest said as part of activities to mark the 40 th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic ties, his visit aims to further the traditional solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

He said the Vietnamese side will develop a scheme to boost cooperation between VFF and FESEC members, adding that the Vietnam chapter of the International Francophone Organisation (OIF) will also work with partners in France and the region.

Delevoye stressed that the two sides need to forge a practical and effective link based on further strengthening the exchange among business owners and environmental activists to fully grasp public demands at the grassroots level.

He also touched upon the two nations’ cooperation within the framework of the OIF and European Union and in economics, politics, culture and education.

The French side stands ready to improve Vietnam’s role in organisations with which it holds close links, such as the European Economic Commission, while popularising the country’s image in France and harmonising relations to improve the lives of French and Vietnamese people, he added.

The two men made it clear that via the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese Ambassador in France, both sides can work together to fulfill their wishes and successfully proceed together.

The same day, the Vietnamese delegation laid a wreath at a memorial dedicated to the late President Ho Chi Minh and visited an exhibition dedicated to him at the Museum of Living History in Montreuil city.

They also met with leaders of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group and Vietnam Culture Centre in France.

They had previously been welcomed on June 26 by Chairman of the France-Vietnam Friendship Group Christian Poncelet.

Earlier, the VFF delegation paid a working visit to Germany from June 23-26 to boost strategic partnership between the two countries.-VNA