Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang (Source :VNA)
Paris (VNA) – More than 250 Vietnamese and French businesses gathered at a conference called “Vietnam, a new Asian dragon” and a series of round-table seminars in France on March 25 to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries.
The event, the first large-scale business conference on Vietnam held at the French Senate, was co-organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnamese Embassy in France, the Senate of France and the French agency for trade and investment promotion (Business France).
Speaking at the event, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang asserted that Vietnam is considered one of the most dynamic economies in Southeast Asia, with an active open-door policy amid its international integration process.
The minister said France is among Vietnam’s top business, economy and investment partners in the EU. Bolstering cooperation in all areas between the two will have a significant influence on relations between Vietnam and the EU.
He added that the French President’s visit to Vietnam scheduled for this year will be a good opportunity to cement bilateral relations between the two nations.
According to Henri Baissas, General Director of Business France, about 2,000 French firms export goods to Vietnam. The Southeast Asian country might become a major trading partner of France, as Vietnam has a bright economic overview, promising fruitful cooperation.
Vietnamese businesses introduced their major export products, particularly farm produce such as rice, tea, coffee and cashew nut. French enterprises presented their technology and potential in the fields of infrastructural development, transport, renewable energy and pharmaceutical chemistry.
At the event, Vietnam’s Trade Promotion Agency and Business France signed an agreement to help the two sides’ enterprises intensify commercial exchange and investment in both countries.-VNA
