The celebration takes place at the Paris City Hall on February 3 (Photo: VNA) Paris (VNA) – About 1,000 Vietnamese people inFrance and international friends shared the joy of the traditional Lunar NewYear (Tet) festival at a celebration held by the Vietnamese Embassy at theParis City Hall on February 3.
At the ceremony, coinciding with the 90thfounding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Ambassador NguyenThiep recalled the national salvation journey by Nguyen Ai Quoc, one of thenames used by President Ho Chi Minh in his early revolutionary career,including the period from 1917 to 1923 in France.
Under the CPV’s leadership, Vietnam became anindependent nation in 1945, 15 years after the founding of the party, and sincethe country’s reunification in 1975, the CPV has successfully led the reform processto develop the nation, the diplomat stressed.
Ambassador Thiep highlighted Vietnam’s economicachievements in 2019, adding that last year, Vietnam and France continuedexchanging high-level delegations, including a visit to the European nation byNational Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. They also made considerablestrides in decentralised cooperation since the 11th conference in Toulouse.
2019 was also a special year for the Vietnamesecommunity in France as seen through important events, including the centenaryof the patriotic movement of Vietnamese expatriates and the Association ofVietnamese people in France – the oldest organisation of overseas Vietnamesepeople, according to him.
On this occasion, the diplomat announced thatthe Vietnamese Government appointed Nguyen Cong Tuoi Maurice as the country’sHonorary Consul in Marseille, a port city in southern France.
Thiep noted in 2020, Vietnam concurrently holdsthe chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) andnon-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, which arechallenges but also opportunities for Vietnam to raise its stature in theglobal arena and enhance ties with France within the framework of regional andinternational organisations.
At the ceremony, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgoaffirmed that Vietnam is an important partner that has cooperated effectivelywith France in various fields.
The Vietnamese community has also contributedmuch to the development of France in general and Paris in particular, she said,noting that Vietnam’s cultural values have helped with the cultural diversityof her city.
The mayor also wished Vietnamese people inFrance more successes in the New Year to join hands in building a betterfuture./.
VNA
