Vietnam has always attached importance to ties with French-speaking countries and Francophone agencies, including the Francophone University Agency (AUF).

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan made the statement at her meeting with AUF President Adbellatif Miraoui, who is on a working visit to Vietnam on the occasion of the 20 th founding anniversary of the AUF’s office in Asia-Pacific.

Vietnam commits to enhancing cooperation with the AUF and other partners in order to further promote the role played by the Francophone community and the French language in the region, she said.

It is the honour of Vietnam to contribute to the AUF’s successes as a country housing its representative office in the Asia-Pacific region, the leader added.

She used the occasion to thank the AUF for its support to Vietnam in French language teaching at schools as well as in scientific research, expressing her belief that the agency will reap more fruits in the coming time.

Welcoming the AUF President’s first visit to Vietnam, the leader underlined the agency’s important role in maintaining and upholding French as a language of science, education, cooperation and development over the past five decades.

AUF membership has ceaselessly increased in Asia-Pacific, proving the agency’s right development orientations, she said.

Sharing his host’s views, Adbellatif Miraoui highlighted the increasing demand for learning foreign languages, saying young people should know more than one language.

He reasoned that language contributes to facilitating information sharing, opening a door to knowledge and expanding cooperation between countries.

The AUF leader stressed the need to encourage students to learn foreign languages and strengthen their exchange in French-speaking countries.-VNA