Over 500 people from various parts of Vietnam and France flocked to a meeting in the northern port city of Hai Phong on Nov. 5, to boost cooperation at various levels for sustainable development.

The conference on Vietnam-France decentralised cooperation this year focused on developments of cooperation at the local level, experiences and issues in service of bilateral cooperation in general as well as between local administrations and their partners in particular.

Representatives from 22 provinces and cities of Vietnam and 20 provinces and regions of France discussed issues of major concern, ranging from the environment of cooperation between civil organisations and local administrations, action to boost sustainable development, vocational training-education, culture, heritages and public services.

Minister of Home Affairs Tran Van Tuan said strong cooperation with France has helped a number of Vietnamese local administrations effectively cope with emerging problems, thus upgrading socio-economic infrastructure, speeding up reforms in administrative procedures, healthcare and education.

He expressed expectation that the conference would result in the signing or materialisation of accords of cooperation, thus contributing to substantially improving friendly relations between the two countries.

French Ambassador Jean Francois Giraut appreciated constant development of relations with Vietnam at the local level, which he said have expanded to various fields, including culture, education, healthcare and public administration.

The France-Vietnam relations have developed to strategic partnership and mutual understanding and assistance have guaranteed the success of the cooperation, emphasised the French diplomat.

The conference, the eighth of its kind so far, will provide orientation for the two countries to solve their problems in the next two years.

Vietnam is the largest Asian receipt of French-funded projects and financial assistance.

Vietnam and France have regularly exchanged State-level visits and signed a framework agreement of partnership for the 2006-10 period.

Trade revenues increased by seven percent from 2008 to this year and foreign direct investment by French businesses reached 2.4 billion USD.

Sustainable growth, climate, training and scientific research have been placed high priority for bilateral cooperation for the 2011-15 period.

The “decentralised cooperation” between Vietnam and France made debut 30 years ago with the establishment of partnership between Hanoi and the lle de France region.

Such kind of cooperation now expands to 19 provinces and regions of France and 24 provinces and cities of Vietnam, deploying over 60 projects, thus contributing to economic development, infrastructure, education-training, scientific research, French teaching, legal governance, management and environment, in the partner provinces and cities of Vietnam./.