President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher and Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung inaugurate the French Institute at a new location in Hanoi. (Photo: Pham Kien/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)- On December 8, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung and President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher inaugurated the French Institute at new locations of No. 8 and 15, Thien Quang Street, Hanoi.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Gérard Larcher said that the French Institute is a pillar of cultural exchange between France and Vietnam through the organizing of events in various fields, such as cinema, music, performing arts, visual arts and heritage preservation.
“The French Institute contributes to spreading the French language and values through many activities, such as organizing French courses and tests, opening multimedia libraries, creating favorable conditions for students going to France, and supporting cultural and creative industries,” said the President of the Senate of the French Republic.
Mr. Gérard Larcher said that this is a meaningful activity looking towards the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and Vietnam (April 12,1973 - April 12, 2023). Along with it were a photo exhibition, a concert at the Hanoi Opera House inspired by Saint-Exupéry's "The Little Prince", the most translated French work in the world, and Ballade en France program promoting French cuisine and living art.
“I know Vietnam is attached to cultural diversity. The French Institute's activities here demonstrate its commitment and belief that Vietnam and France share the same goal of promoting the diversity of cultural expressions," affirmed Mr. Gérard Larcher.
Attending the opening ceremony, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung affirmed that, this is a very meaningful event, marking a "new development step" of the French Institute after 18 years of official operation in Vietnam.
Over the past nearly 50 years since the official establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France, many cooperation activities in culture and tourism within the bilateral and multilateral framework have been effectively implemented, attracting the participation of agencies, associations and enterprises of the two countries.
Vietnam has become an increasingly popular destination for French tourists, and France is one of the cultural and tourist destinations chosen by many Vietnamese.
Minister Nguyen Van Hung affirmed that the results achieved in the relationship between the two countries over the past time have been attributed to the very important contributions of the French Institute in Vietnam and the Vietnamese Cultural Center in France.
“With a creative, focused approach, taking the people as the subject, the French Institute has organized cultural activities and events for the public, and jointly developed programs with partners in localities of Vietnam, well performing the role of 'cultural bridge' that helps promote France to the Vietnamese public," said Minister Nguyen Van Hung.
The Minister congratulated the French Institute on its new headquarters at No. 8 and No. 15 of Thien Quang Street. They are buildings bearing the mark of the common French-Vietnamese architectural heritage, and in the coming time, this will surely become a favorite destination for everyone.
Minister Nguyen Van Hung said that in 2023, the Vietnam Cultural Center in France will come into operation after completing the renovation and with the same function as the French Institute in Vietnam. This center promises to promote the Vietnamese culture more widely and image of the country and people of Vietnam, becoming a destination for the French public and international friends, who love Vietnamese language and culture.
Sophie Maysonnave, Director of the French Institute in Vietnam, said that in addition to maintaining learning services such as language school, multimedia library, and Campus France at two headquarters, the French Institute also carries out cultural activities outside the facility to get closer to the public.
The French Institute will also strengthen cooperation with artists, researchers and universities, galleries and museums, theaters and cinemas in various locations, thereby helping to scale up activities and promote cultural exchanges between the two countries./.
