The Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) on Nov. 2 opened the annual meeting of the Network of Francophone Forums in Hanoi, with 40 delegates from the International Francophone Organisation (OIF) and other Francophone organisations taking part.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Nguyen Dinh Thao, DAV Deputy Director said DAV has always valued French language teaching and French-speaking activities. The academy has trained hundreds of officials for ministries and departments using French language; and developed cooperation in many fields with OIF members.

Thao also highlighted the outcomes of cooperation within the framework of the Network of Francophone Forums, including the establishment of the Hanoi Francophone Forum in 2005, the hosting of the sixth meeting of the Francophone forum in 2007 and the implementation of master course in French language and globalisation.

So far, 28 students from ministries, departments and State organisations have graduated, including one from China and five from Laos.

In addition to proposing an orientation for cooperation in the near future, delegates also discussed the teaching of French language at universities, a masters programme in political science and international relations for the 2010 – 2011 academic year, research on “French language, globalisation and international relations”, and introduced a project to publish a French thesaurus.

As part of the three-day event, DAV also coordinated with OIF to host an international seminar discussing French language training for diplomats in Asia and other regions./.