HCM City leader receives OIF Secretary-General

At the reception (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai has proposed the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) to help local firms access markets of the organisation’s member countries, and step up cooperation with member businesses in agro-product processing, renewable energy and green growth, among others.

Mai made the proposal when hosting a reception for OIF Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo in the city on March 22.

At the meeting, he briefed his guest on the local socio-economic development, adding that the city has boost digital economic development, innovative and sharing economy, digital transformation and the building of a smart city and financial hub for sustainable economic development and improving people’s lives.

Highly valuing economic cooperation potential with OIF members, he believed that HCM City could serve as a launching pad for OIF firms to take part in the agro-product supply chain of the region and the world.

He pledged the city will create favourable conditions for the efficient and long-term operation of member companies of the OIF in the southern hub, he pledged.

In addition, Mai expressed his hope for the continued implementation of French language teaching programmes in the city’s high schools and universities and within the framework of the Francophone University Agency (AUF), and asked Mushikiwabo to create conditions for HCM City to host the Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie in the coming time.

Hailing cooperation potential between the OIF and Vietnam, Mushikiwabo affirmed that the cooperation and relations among OIF members have been strengthened in an effective and practical manner across all fields such as economy, politics, culture, and education-training.

Founded in 1970, the OIF now has 88 member states and observers. Together they account for 16 percent of the global population and 16.5 percent of the world’s total assets.

Since becoming an OIF member in 1970, Vietnam has consistently strengthened partnership with the Francophone community and been an active and core member of the organisation in Asia-Pacific. It hosted the Francophone Summit in 1997.

Trade turnover between Vietnam and OIF members posted the stable growth of over 20 billion USD in the 2017-21 period. As of 2021, about 16 OIF member countries had invested in Vietnam, with more than 1,450 projects worth nearly 16 billion USD./.

VNA