Paris (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang has recently paid a working trip to Perpignan city of Pyrénées-Orientales province in Occitanie region, opening new avenues for cooperation across economy, education, energy transition and sustainable growth, the strategic priorities shared by both nations.
At a working session with President of the Pyrénées-Orientales Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Laurent Gauze, the ambassador laid stress on Vietnam’s strong commitment to developing its energy market, from renewable and nuclear energy to improved electricity efficiency across industry and daily life. He also spotlighted Vietnam’s growing electric vehicle industry, with VinFast as a prime example of technological innovation and global integration.
Gauze praised Vietnam’s dynamism, affirming that the CCI’s cooperation with its Vietnamese partners have shown effective over the past years, highlighting collaboration opportunities in green economy and agricultural logistics.
The CCI introduced Diam Bouchage, the world's second-largest cork producer, which possesses proprietary technology to completely eliminate cork taint, a critical factor in wine preservation. Gauze revealed meetings with two bottling enterprises and a research institute eager to collaborate with Vietnam on high-tech and high-quality products, expressing considerable confidence in the cooperation potential between Pyrénées-Orientales and Vietnam.
A highlight of the visit was a working session at Saint-Charles Centre, Europe's largest fruit and vegetable import and distribution hub, which handles over 1.8 million tonnes of goods annually. The CCI expressed keen interest in partnering with Vietnam on cold chain transportation and fruit commercialisation. Vietnamese tropical fruits including dragon fruit, mango and durian are gaining popularity among European consumers, yet face persistent challenges in logistics and preservation. Saint-Charles' expertise in these areas could significantly expand Vietnamese agricultural products' market share across Europe.
Visiting the Ecole 42, a renowned global programming college, with 57 campuses worldwide, Ambassador Thang highlighted Vietnam’s interest in adopting practice-based training models and fostering partnerships with French institutions.
During talks with, President of the Pyrénées-Orientales Departmental Council Hermine Malherbe, both sides emphasised collaboration in agriculture, climate resilience, and sustainable development. Malherbe noted her region’s strengths in farming, tourism, and public services, and expressed readiness to welcome Vietnamese students and researchers.
Thang also met with Perpignan Mayor Louis Aliot, during which both sides discussed cultural exchange, tourism and heritage, the areas contributing to tighten the friendship between the two countries' people./.
Vietnam eyes stronger trade, investment links with France's northern region
Ambassador Dinh Toan 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.
