Delegates in a group photo. (Photo: VNA) In her speech, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung,Chairwoman of the Vietnam - France Friendship Association of HCM City, stressedthat the two countries boast long-standing relations and profound connectionsin history and culture. This year, they mark the 50th anniversary oftheir diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of their strategicpartnership.
Over the last 50 years, the bilateralfriendship and cooperation have become increasingly strong and fruitful invarious fields, including trade, investment, culture, education, andpeople-to-people diplomacy. Vietnam and France now share many similarviewpoints on and interests in international issues, and reinforcing their collaborationis an objective requirement for the sake of both, she went on.
Dung highlighted the cooperationbetween Vietnamese and French localities that started in the 1990s, consideringHCM City’s twin relationship with Lyon city and the Rhône-Alpes region ofFrance as a pillar helping strengthen the solidarity between the two peoples.
For her part, Consul General ofFrance in HCM City Emmanuelle Pavillon-Grosser said aside from the positiveoutcomes of high-level mutual visits, the strong, dynamic and voluntary Frenchcommunity has been present in all fields in Vietnam, substantially contributingto local development.
Bilateralconnections in cultural, educational, and legal affairs have been furthertightened, which can be seen most clearly in the thousands of Vietnamesestudents in France who have become an important friendship bridge between thetwo countries, she went on.
The diplomat also took this occasionto thank HUFO for its contributions to the Vietnam - France friendship./.
VNA
