Paris (VNA) – A delegation from the Vietnamese Embassy in France, led by Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang, paid a working visit to the Hauts-de-France region from April 13–16, aiming to boost local-level cooperation as Vietnam and France recently upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
At a meeting with Bertrand Gaume, Prefect of the Hauts-de-France region, Thang praised the region’s pivotal role in advancing Vietnam-France economic relations. He noted that Hauts-de-France has a long-standing cooperative ties with Vietnam and holds great potential in trade, investment, and economic development.
Gaume affirmed the strong historical foundation of the bilateral ties, reflected in extensive collaboration in the fields of economy, culture, and higher education. He highlighted the importance of this meeting in the context of preparations for French President Emmanuel Macron’s upcoming visit to Vietnam.
The two sides also discussed potential partnerships in economy, culture, education, science and technology, as well as migration management, with a shared commitment to closer coordination.
At the regional administration's headquarters, the Vietnamese delegation participated in a key roundtable focused on promoting economic cooperation.
Luc Doublet, President of Nord France Invest - the region’s agency for foreign investment - emphasised the opportunities for two-way business collaboration and expressed his hope to welcome more Vietnamese enterprises to Hauts-de-France and vice versa.
Yan Pitollet, CEO of Nord France Invest, introduced the region’s strategic advantages, including its central location in Europe, labour costs 30% lower than those in other major French cities, and thriving sectors such as automobiles, electric batteries, agri-food, rail transport, and logistics. He voiced his confidence in strengthening connections between local businesses and Vietnamese partners, and proposed initiatives such as establishing representative offices, co-investing in innovation and industry, or pursuing business acquisitions in the region.
Both sides agreed on the strong potential for cooperation in key areas including green industry, energy transition, logistics infrastructure, innovation, human resource development, and technology transfer.
For his part, Thang stressed that Hauts-de-France, with its robust industrial base, well-developed seaport and logistics networks, and open investment environment, represents a highly promising partner for Vietnamese localities and businesses aiming to deepen integration into the European Union market.
At the event, participants also discussed preparations for the 13th France-Vietnam Decentralised Cooperation Conference, set to take place in France in 2026, and agreed to promote events under the “France-Vietnam Year of Innovation,” including the upcoming French Tech Vietnam Summit on May 27.
As part of the visit, the Vietnamese delegation toured leading economic and technological establishments in the region, including the European Centre for Innovative Textiles (CETI) and EuraTechnologies, one of France and Europe’s premier startup incubators.
A key highlight of the trip was a working visit to the Port of Dunkerque, where the delegation was welcomed by President of the Port Authority Maurice Georges. Discussions focused on potential collaboration in maritime transport, logistics, and port infrastructure development.
The delegation also held working sessions with leaders of Decathlon, one of the world’s leading sportswear producers and distributors, which has maintained strong business presence in Vietnam. Their discussions centred on strengthening supply chain connectivity and expanding sustainable cooperation in the European market./.
