Ho Chi Minh City wants to strengthen multi-faceted cooperation with French localities, especially in trade, investment, climate change adaptation, urban planning and lighting, education-training, and human resources development.

Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee and Chairwoman of the city’s People’s Council made the wish at a ceremony held in the city on April 12 to mark the 40 th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic ties (April 12, 1973-2013).

She expressed her delight at the continuously developing friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and France over the past four decades.

Ho Chi Minh City has fostered multi-faceted cooperation with French sectors and localities, especially in culture, education and training, health, and science-technology, she said.

Two-way trade between HCM City and France hit 720 million USD in 2012. With 152 projects totalling about 825 million USD, France is now one of 15 largest investors in the city, she noted.

Fabrice Mauries, French Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, said France is now one of the leading donors of official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam, adding that more than 300 French businesses are operating in Vietnam, generating nearly 30,000 jobs for local people, he added.

He highlighted science, education, research, culture and defence as priorities in the two countries’ cooperation that need to be stepped up in the time to come.-VNA