Paris (VNA) – Businesses in France’s Pyrénées-Orientales department, a vibrant agricultural and economic hub in the South, are eyeing stronger economic, trade, and investment links with Vietnam, with many seeing it as one of Asia’s attractive markets.
Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang’s recent working trip to the region was to bridge the two business communities, paving the way for deeper ties in agriculture, food processing, winemaking, technology, health care, and vocational training.
During the working sessions with authorities in Pyrénées-Orientales and Perpignan city, as well as officials from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and the French Business Confederation (MEDEF), local companies praised Vietnam as a dynamic and promising market with stable growth, particularly in agriculture, food, and services.
Pyrénées-Orientales firms, for their part, are seeking Vietnamese partners to export agricultural products, including fruits and vegetables, as well as wines and processed food.
Providers in services, tourism, hospitality, and construction also signalled interest in sharing know-how and technology transfers to capitalise on Vietnam’s booming tourism and infrastructure sectors.
In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, Ambassador Thang highlighted that his trip was part of a broader initiative to enhance economic and trade relations with French regions, especially those that possess significant potential but have experienced limited direct engagement with Vietnam.
He highlighted Pyrénées-Orientales department’s edge in agriculture, technology, and tourism, noting that many French companies are gearing up for market exploratory trips to Vietnam to gauge consumer demand and opportunities in production, processing, and bilateral trade.
Pyrénées-Orientales also excels in marine research, information technology, artificial intelligence, and shipbuilding – areas where Vietnam is eager for more partnerships and growth. Its business executives called Vietnam an energetic and fast-adapting partner open to innovation.
Perpignan-based entrepreneur Caroline Sirere Ferriere said the two sides could forge effective models for collaboration in services, technology, and sustainable agriculture, leveraging complementary strengths for shared gains./.
