A conference took place in Paris on April 11 to review the 40-year relations between Vietnam and France and discuss ways to foster bilateral cooperation in the future.
Initiated by the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group (FVFPG) at the French Senate and Vietnamese Ambassador to France Duong Chi Dung, the conference was part of activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic ties.
Addressing the event, FVFPG President Christian Poncelet spoke highly of cooperation between the two nations in various fields, ranging from politics and economics to culture, and science-technology.
He noted that France was among first European countries that supported Vietnam’s “doi moi” (renewal) process, which commenced in 1986.
Vietnam now becomes an important country in the Asia-Pacific region which serves as a gateway for the European Union (EU) and France in particular to boost their cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, he said, adding that France is also a gateway for Vietnam to strengthen its ties with the EU.
Poncelet highly valued his organisation’s efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation over the past time, informing that a high-level delegation from the FVFPG will visit Vietnam in September to raise the inter-parliamentary relation between the two countries to a new level of development.
Comprising 50 members who are among 348 French senators, the 20-year-old group has implemented a number of practical activities in Vietnam, especially in the fields of culture and health, he added.
Vietnamese Ambassador to France Duong Tri Dung affirmed the diverse, deep and comprehensive relationship between Vietnam and France, citing that more than 15 cooperation agreements and treaties have been signed between the two sides as a firm legal foundation for the development of bilateral ties.
In politics, the two sides have regularly exchanged delegations of all levels, while setting up regular dialogue mechanisms to increase mutual trust and understanding towards a strategic partnership, he noted.
Regarding economic cooperation, one of the priority areas between the two countries, France is now a leading partner of Vietnam with two-way trade reaching 3.7 billion USD and more than 300 French businesses operating in Vietnam, said Dung.
France is also Vietnam’s second largest bilateral donor of official development assistance (ODA) with 3.14 billion USD invested in poverty reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable development, he added.
The two countries have also enjoyed good cooperation in education and culture. More than 7,500 Vietnamese students and post-graduates are now studying in France. Notably, the project of building the Hanoi University of Science and Technology is being stepped up as a highlight of Vietnam-France educational cooperation.
Regarding decentralised cooperation, Dung said the 9th Vietnam-France Decentralised Cooperation Conference scheduled for June in Brest, France is expected to help strengthen and diversify cooperation between the two countries in the field.
With the position and role that each country plays in its region, Vietnam and France have abundant potential to enhance cooperation and mutual support for an effective strategic partnership for the benefits of both peoples, he stressed.
During the conference, representatives from the French Development Agency and the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research talked economic, cultural and educational cooperation between Vietnam and France as well as opportunities, challenges and prospects for future bilateral ties.-VNA
Initiated by the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group (FVFPG) at the French Senate and Vietnamese Ambassador to France Duong Chi Dung, the conference was part of activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic ties.
Addressing the event, FVFPG President Christian Poncelet spoke highly of cooperation between the two nations in various fields, ranging from politics and economics to culture, and science-technology.
He noted that France was among first European countries that supported Vietnam’s “doi moi” (renewal) process, which commenced in 1986.
Vietnam now becomes an important country in the Asia-Pacific region which serves as a gateway for the European Union (EU) and France in particular to boost their cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, he said, adding that France is also a gateway for Vietnam to strengthen its ties with the EU.
Poncelet highly valued his organisation’s efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation over the past time, informing that a high-level delegation from the FVFPG will visit Vietnam in September to raise the inter-parliamentary relation between the two countries to a new level of development.
Comprising 50 members who are among 348 French senators, the 20-year-old group has implemented a number of practical activities in Vietnam, especially in the fields of culture and health, he added.
Vietnamese Ambassador to France Duong Tri Dung affirmed the diverse, deep and comprehensive relationship between Vietnam and France, citing that more than 15 cooperation agreements and treaties have been signed between the two sides as a firm legal foundation for the development of bilateral ties.
In politics, the two sides have regularly exchanged delegations of all levels, while setting up regular dialogue mechanisms to increase mutual trust and understanding towards a strategic partnership, he noted.
Regarding economic cooperation, one of the priority areas between the two countries, France is now a leading partner of Vietnam with two-way trade reaching 3.7 billion USD and more than 300 French businesses operating in Vietnam, said Dung.
France is also Vietnam’s second largest bilateral donor of official development assistance (ODA) with 3.14 billion USD invested in poverty reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable development, he added.
The two countries have also enjoyed good cooperation in education and culture. More than 7,500 Vietnamese students and post-graduates are now studying in France. Notably, the project of building the Hanoi University of Science and Technology is being stepped up as a highlight of Vietnam-France educational cooperation.
Regarding decentralised cooperation, Dung said the 9th Vietnam-France Decentralised Cooperation Conference scheduled for June in Brest, France is expected to help strengthen and diversify cooperation between the two countries in the field.
With the position and role that each country plays in its region, Vietnam and France have abundant potential to enhance cooperation and mutual support for an effective strategic partnership for the benefits of both peoples, he stressed.
During the conference, representatives from the French Development Agency and the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research talked economic, cultural and educational cooperation between Vietnam and France as well as opportunities, challenges and prospects for future bilateral ties.-VNA
