Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (R) and President of Ile-de-France region Valérie Pécresse at their meeting on July 16 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – President of Ile-de-France region Valérie Pécresse said cooperation between her region and Hanoi is the model for other Vietnamese and French localities to follow at talks with Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung in Hanoi on July 16.
Welcoming the guests from the French region, which encompasses capital Paris, Chung said their visit to the Vietnamese capital and attendance in the celebration of 30 years of Hanoi – Ile-de-France cooperative ties will help enhance connections between the two sides, as well as between Vietnam and France.
He expressed his belief that the documents signed during the trip will uphold the successes in bilateral relations as well as the agreements inked during a France visit by Hanoi officials in June 2018.
The Hanoi mayor called on both sides to increase the exchange of young entrepreneurs to learn each other’s startup experience and help the Vietnamese city build a startup ecosystem. He noted it will be a pillar of their effective friendship and cooperation.
For her part, Pécresse voiced hope that the two sides will together move forwards in building innovative cities towards sustainable development.
She thanked her host for creating conditions for French businesses, including those from Ile-de-France, to take part in the No. 3 urban railway project, adding that French firms always wish to keep contributing to Hanoi’s development projects in the time ahead.
Highlighting bilateral partnerships in tourism and heritage preservation, the Ile-de-France leader said Vietnamese visitors to the region soared by 40 percent in 2018 thanks to the two sides’ efforts to connect tourist destinations.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Embassy has joined in heritage preservation projects in France, including the restoration of the Notre Dame Cathedral. The two localities have also carried out a business incubation project, an important step for Hanoi to participate in the business network of France as well as the world, she added.
During their stay in Hanoi, the French delegation took part in the opening ceremony of an air quality monitoring station at the French Embassy, a workshop on cities and innovation, and the signing ceremony of cooperation documents between the two localities. -VNA
VNA